world-thegnn.
/ˈwəːldθeɪn/, U.S. /ˈwər(ə)ldθeɪn/ Now rare. historical in later use.
In Anglo-Saxon England: a secular thegn (in contradistinction to a mass-thegn); = thegn n.In quot. 1891 erroneously taken to be a priest.
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society > society and the community > social class > nobility > rank > thane > [noun] > secular
world-thegnOE
OE Laws: Norðleoda Laga (Corpus Cambr.) v. 460 Mæsseþegnes & worldþegnes [wergild is] ii þusend þrimsa.
OE Laws: Að (Corpus Cambr. 201) ii. 464 Mæssepreostes að & worldþegnes [lOE Rochester woruldþegenes] is on Engla lage geteald efendire for ðam seofon cirichadan, þe se preost þurh Godes gife geþeah, þæt he hæfde.
1614 J. Selden Titles of Honor 225 Ealdormen, Holdes, Hetgerefas, Messethegnes, and Werldthegnes.
1731 T. Gurdon Hist. High Court Parl. I. 178 The King's World-Thane that had some Office under the King, was a Member of the Witenagemote or Court de more.
1839 T. Keightley Hist. Eng. (new ed.) I. 83 The mass-thane or clergyman stood on a par with the world-thane or gentleman.
1891 E. C. Brewer Historic Note-bk. (1901) 876/1 Other priests were ‘World Thanes’, and hence were subsequently entitled ‘Sir’.
1913 S. O. Addy Church & Manor 167 The laws speak of the mass-thane, or altar-thane, and the world-thane, or secular thane.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.OE