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Thane vs Reeve - What's the difference?

thane | reeve |

In historical terms the difference between thane and reeve

is that thane is a rank of nobility in pre-Norman England, roughly equivalent to baron while reeve is any of several local officials, with varying responsibilities.

As a verb reeve is

to pass a rope through a hole or opening, especially so as to fasten it.

thane

English

(Thegn)

Alternative forms

* thegn

Noun

(en noun)
  • (historical) A rank of nobility in pre-Norman England, roughly equivalent to baron." thane]", entry in 1852', ''Putnam's Home Cyclopedia: Hand-Book of Literature and the Fine Arts'', p594 — The '''thanes''' in England were formerly persons of some dignity; there were two orders, the king's '''thanes''', who attended the kings in their courts and held lands immediately of them, and the ordinary '''thanes , who were lords of manors and who had particular jurisdiction within their limits.After the [Norman Conquest, this title was disused, and ''baron took its place.
  • * 1845 , (translator), A History of England under the Anglo-Saxon Kings , 2004, page 317,
    • The Anglo-Saxon thanes were in all respects the predecessors of the Norman barons.
    The title of thane seems to have supplanted that of gesith, which appears only in the earner Anglo-Saxon laws, a denomination that may originally have designated the attendants or companions of the king, and whose wergild being triple that of the simple freeman, were, therefore, denominated not only gesithcund men, but six-hynde men.
  • * 1910 , Robert A. Thompson, The People's History of England , Walter Scott Publishing, New York,
    • The little island of Iona became the refuge of the sons and some thanes of Athelfrith, banished by Edwin.
  • * 2000 , '', ''Anglo-Saxon Spirituality: Selected Writings , page 144,
    • Although some serfs escape from their lord and turn away from Christendom to the Vikings and after this it happens that the clash of swords becomes common to thane' and serf, if the serf utterly kills the ' thane , he lies unpaid by all of the serf's kin.

    See also

    * baron * gesith

    Anagrams

    * *

    References

    reeve

    English

    Etymology 1

    Old English r?fa , an aphetism of ?er?fa.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (historical) Any of several local officials, with varying responsibilities.
  • :* {{quote-book
    • , year=1999 , year_published= , edition= , editor=Judith McClure, Roger Collins , author=Bede , title=The Ecclesiastical History of the English People , chapter= citation , genre= , publisher=Oxford University Press , isbn=9780192838667 , page=99 , passage=His first convert was the reeve of the city of Lincoln call Blæcca, ... }}
  • (Canada) The president of a township or municipal district council.
  • (military, historical) A (l) but (l) commissioned (l) of the equivalent to (l).
  • * 1936 , The Periodical (), volumes 21–22, page 67
    • A list of new titles was manufactured as follows: Ensign'', ''Lieutenant'', ''Flight-Leader'', ''Squadron-Leader'', ''Reeve''''', ''Banneret'', ''Fourth-Ardian'', ''Third-Ardian'', ''Second-Ardian'', ''Ardian'', ''Air Marshal''. […] “' Reeve ”, perhaps, savoured a little too much of legal authority.

    Etymology 2

    Apparent alternate form of reef

    Verb

    (reev)
  • (nautical, dialect) To pass a rope through a hole or opening, especially so as to fasten it.
  • * 1930 , William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying , Library of America, 1985, p.98:
    • "Let the rope go," he says. With his other hand he reaches down and reeves the two turns from the stanchion.

    Etymology 3

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A female of the species Philomachus pugnax , a highly gregarious, medium-sized wading bird of Eurasia; the male is a ruff.