"king" meaning in Middle English

See king in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /kinɡ/, [kiŋɡ]
Etymology: Inherited from the Old English cyning, from Proto-West Germanic *kuning, from Proto-Germanic *kuningaz. The forms kug (attested in the compounds kugdom, kuglond, and kugriche) and gug (attested in the compound guglond) show the influence of the Old Norse konungr, whence they borrow their root vowel. The early forms featuring syncope (chinge, chinȝ, cing, and cinȝ) may have long ī. Etymology templates: {{inh|enm|ang|cyning}} Old English cyning, {{inh|enm|gmw-pro|*kuning}} Proto-West Germanic *kuning, {{inh|enm|gem-pro|*kuningaz}} Proto-Germanic *kuningaz, {{der|enm|non|konungr}} Old Norse konungr Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|nominative plural|kinges|also the early forms|kingas|or|kingæs}} king (nominative plural kinges, also the early forms kingas or kingæs) Forms: kinges [nominative, plural], the early forms kingas [also], kingæs [also], kenin [alternative, in-compounds, toponymic], kening [alternative, in-compounds, toponymic], kinig [alternative, in-compounds, toponymic], gug [alternative], kug [alternative], knyng [alternative], chinge [alternative], chinȝ [alternative], cing [alternative], cining [alternative], cinȝ [alternative], ging [alternative], keing [alternative], keng [alternative], kingk [alternative], kingue [alternative], kining [alternative], kink [alternative], kyng [alternative], kynge [alternative]
  1. king (monarch)
    Sense id: en-king-enm-noun-c-N3gyAP Categories (other): Monarchy Disambiguation of Monarchy: 74 26
  2. king (chess piece)
    Sense id: en-king-enm-noun-yAEZgUUr Categories (other): Middle English entries with incorrect language header, Chess, Heads of state, Nobility Disambiguation of Middle English entries with incorrect language header: 24 76 Disambiguation of Chess: 0 100 Disambiguation of Heads of state: 38 62 Disambiguation of Nobility: 41 59
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: king of kinges, Kinges, kinges of Coloin, kingles, kingly, Kingpleie, kingriche

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "king of kinges"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "Kinges"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "kinges of Coloin"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "kingles"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "kingly"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "Kingpleie"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "kingriche"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "king"
          },
          "expansion": "English: king",
          "name": "desc"
        },
        {
          "args": {},
          "expansion": "(see there for further descendants)",
          "name": "see desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: king (see there for further descendants)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "keeng",
            "3": "king"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: keeng, king",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: keeng, king"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "yol",
            "2": "kinge",
            "alts": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "Yola: kinge, king",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Yola: kinge, king"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "cyning"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English cyning",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*kuning"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *kuning",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*kuningaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *kuningaz",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "konungr"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse konungr",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Inherited from the Old English cyning, from Proto-West Germanic *kuning, from Proto-Germanic *kuningaz. The forms kug (attested in the compounds kugdom, kuglond, and kugriche) and gug (attested in the compound guglond) show the influence of the Old Norse konungr, whence they borrow their root vowel. The early forms featuring syncope (chinge, chinȝ, cing, and cinȝ) may have long ī.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "kinges",
      "tags": [
        "nominative",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "the early forms kingas",
      "tags": [
        "also"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kingæs",
      "tags": [
        "also"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kenin",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "in-compounds",
        "toponymic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kening",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "in-compounds",
        "toponymic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kinig",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "in-compounds",
        "toponymic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gug",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kug",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "knyng",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chinge",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chinȝ",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cing",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cining",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cinȝ",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ging",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "keing",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "keng",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kingk",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kingue",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kining",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kink",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kyng",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kynge",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "3": "nominative plural",
        "4": "kinges",
        "5": "also the early forms",
        "6": "kingas",
        "7": "or",
        "8": "kingæs"
      },
      "expansion": "king (nominative plural kinges, also the early forms kingas or kingæs)",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Monarchy",
          "orig": "enm:Monarchy",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "king (monarch)"
      ],
      "id": "en-king-enm-noun-c-N3gyAP",
      "links": [
        [
          "king",
          "king#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "24 76",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "0 100",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Chess",
          "orig": "enm:Chess",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "38 62",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Heads of state",
          "orig": "enm:Heads of state",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "41 59",
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Nobility",
          "orig": "enm:Nobility",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "king (chess piece)"
      ],
      "id": "en-king-enm-noun-yAEZgUUr",
      "links": [
        [
          "king",
          "king#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kinɡ/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[kiŋɡ]"
    }
  ],
  "word": "king"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
    "Middle English lemmas",
    "Middle English nouns",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old English",
    "Middle English terms derived from Old Norse",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
    "Pages with 9 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "enm:Chess",
    "enm:Heads of state",
    "enm:Monarchy",
    "enm:Nobility"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "king of kinges"
    },
    {
      "word": "Kinges"
    },
    {
      "word": "kinges of Coloin"
    },
    {
      "word": "kingles"
    },
    {
      "word": "kingly"
    },
    {
      "word": "Kingpleie"
    },
    {
      "word": "kingriche"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "en",
            "2": "king"
          },
          "expansion": "English: king",
          "name": "desc"
        },
        {
          "args": {},
          "expansion": "(see there for further descendants)",
          "name": "see desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "English: king (see there for further descendants)"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "sco",
            "2": "keeng",
            "3": "king"
          },
          "expansion": "Scots: keeng, king",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Scots: keeng, king"
    },
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "yol",
            "2": "kinge",
            "alts": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "Yola: kinge, king",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "Yola: kinge, king"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "cyning"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English cyning",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*kuning"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *kuning",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*kuningaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *kuningaz",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "konungr"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse konungr",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Inherited from the Old English cyning, from Proto-West Germanic *kuning, from Proto-Germanic *kuningaz. The forms kug (attested in the compounds kugdom, kuglond, and kugriche) and gug (attested in the compound guglond) show the influence of the Old Norse konungr, whence they borrow their root vowel. The early forms featuring syncope (chinge, chinȝ, cing, and cinȝ) may have long ī.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "kinges",
      "tags": [
        "nominative",
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "the early forms kingas",
      "tags": [
        "also"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kingæs",
      "tags": [
        "also"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kenin",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "in-compounds",
        "toponymic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kening",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "in-compounds",
        "toponymic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kinig",
      "tags": [
        "alternative",
        "in-compounds",
        "toponymic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gug",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kug",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "knyng",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chinge",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "chinȝ",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cing",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cining",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "cinȝ",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ging",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "keing",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "keng",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kingk",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kingue",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kining",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kink",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kyng",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "kynge",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "3": "nominative plural",
        "4": "kinges",
        "5": "also the early forms",
        "6": "kingas",
        "7": "or",
        "8": "kingæs"
      },
      "expansion": "king (nominative plural kinges, also the early forms kingas or kingæs)",
      "name": "head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "king (monarch)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "king",
          "king#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "king (chess piece)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "king",
          "king#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/kinɡ/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "[kiŋɡ]"
    }
  ],
  "word": "king"
}

Download raw JSONL data for king meaning in Middle English (3.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-06-10 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-06-01 using wiktextract (58c391d and f1c2b61). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.