dreng

English

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Medieval Latin drengus, from Middle English dreng (“warrior, retainer”) or its source, Old English drenġ (“warrior, soldier”), from Proto-West Germanic *drangī, from Proto-Germanic *drangijaz, cognate to Old Norse drengr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɹɛŋ/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛŋ

Noun

dreng (plural drengs)

1. (historical, UK) A kind of feudal free tenant with military duties, mentioned in the Domesday Book.
   • 1711, “Chapter XVII: Of Tallage”, in Thomas Madox, The Hiſtory and Antiquities of the Exchequer of the Kings of England‎, London: John Matthews, page 480:

     In the reign of K. Richard I, the Theines and Drenges of Northumberland were tallaged. They paid each of them 80 much de Dono (o).

   • 1862, “Appendix T: The Laws of King Henry the First”, in E. William Robertson, Scotland Under Her Early Kings: A History of the Kingdom to the Close of the 13th Century‎, volume 2, Edinburgh: Edmonston & Douglas, page 513:

     Accordingly, long after the Conquest, the Thegns and Drengs of Northumberland, and the Drengs, Thegns, and Villeins of the bishopric of Durham, continued to be tallaged.

   • 2000, “Society and Status”, in Birgit Sawyer, The Viking-age Rune-stones: Custom and Commemoration in Early Medieval Scandinavia‎, Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 106:

     It is significant that, as Map 2 shows, the main concentrations of thegns and drengs are in the east of the territory that was apparently tributary to the Danish king in about AD 1000.

Alternative forms

• drenge

Albanian

Etymology

Variant of drenjë, from Proto-Indo-European *dreu- (“tree”). Occurs in Cham Albanian.

Adjective

dreng (feminine drenge)

1. strong, healthy, sound

See also

• drenjë
• drënjë

Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse drengr (“young warrior”), from Proto-Germanic *drangijaz (“man, servant”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdrɛŋˀ/,

• audio

  (file)

Noun

dreng c (singular definite drengen, plural indefinite drenge)

1. boy, lad

Declension

Middle English

Alternative forms

• dranch, dring, dringch, ðring

Etymology

Inherited from Old English drenġ, from Proto-West Germanic *drangī, from Proto-Germanic *drangijaz. Some forms are influenced by Old Norse drengr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /drɛnd͡ʒ/, /drind͡ʒ/
• (from Old Norse drengr) IPA^(key): /drɛnɡ/, /drinɡ/

Noun

dreng (plural drenges)

1. (poetic) A warrior or soldier; a person who fights.
   1. A follower of a lord; a member of a host.
   2. (rare) A lord or chieftain.
2. (rare) A dreng (military vassal)

Descendants

• → Medieval Latin: drengus
  • → English: dreng, drenge
• >? Scots: dring

References

• “dreng, drenǧ, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse drengr.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /drɛŋː/

Noun

dreng m (definite singular drengen, indefinite plural drengar or drenger, definite plural drengane or drengene)

1. a farmhand
2. an assistant, apprentice

Further reading

• “dreng” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *drangī, from Proto-Germanic *drangijaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /drenj/,

Noun

drenġ m

1. (poetic) warrior; soldier

Inflection

Alternative forms

• drench

Descendants

• Middle English: dreng, dranch, dring, dringch, ðring
  • → Medieval Latin: drengus
    • → English: dreng, drenge
  • >? Scots: dring