athel

• athil, athill
• aethel, æthel
• ethel

• IPA^(key): /ˈæθəl/, /ˈeɪθəl/

From Middle English athel, ethel, hathel (“noble; nobleman, hero”), from Old English æþele (“noble, eminent, aristocratic, excellent, famous, glorious, splendid, fine, costly, valuable, vigorous, lusty, young, pleasant, sweet-smelling, natural, congenial, suitable”), from Proto-Germanic *aþalaz, *aþaljaz, *aþiluz (“noble, of noble birth”), from Proto-Indo-European *átta (“father”). Akin to Saterland Frisian eedel, West Frisian eal, Dutch edel, German edel. Middle English form hathel due to conflation with Old English hæleþ (“hero”). See heleth.

athel (comparative more athel, superlative most athel)

1. (obsolete or Britain dialectal) Noble; illustrious

• atheldom
• atheling

athel (plural athels)

1. (obsolete) A chief or lord.
2. (Britain dialectal, Scotland) A prince or noble.

From Arabic أَثَل‎ (ʾaṯal)

athel (plural athels)

1. A kind of tamarisk native to northern Africa and the Middle East, Tamarix aphylla, planted widely elsewhere as a shade tree and a windbreak due to its tolerance of heat and of alkaline soils, but tending to become invasive outside of its native range.

1. A discrimination of originality and nobility ( الأصيل)

• Leath, ethal, hatel, lathe