Part of speech: noun
Gender: feminine, neuter
(uninfl in sing) 1. nobility, aristocracy, noble / aristocratic descent; 2. nobleness, noble qualities; magnificence; 3. origin; descent; family (also æðelu, æðelo)
Etymology
[← Prot-Germ *aþaljan ← *aþlan n; O Sax athali “nobility; nobleness”; Dt adel “nobility”; OHG edili “nobility” (cf Mod G Adel); Icel eðli “nature, character; birth, origin”]
