heofonrice

Old English

Alternative forms

• hefenrīċe, hefonrīċe, heofenrīċe
• hefenerīċe, heofenerīċe, heofonerīċe — from an inflected form or weak heofone
• heofonarīċe — reflecting the genitive plural; cf. Latin caelōrum in regnum caelōrum

Etymology

Equivalent to heofon +‎ rīċe, possibly as a calque of Latin regnum caelōrum. Cognate with Old Saxon hevanrīki, Old High German himilrīhhi (German Himmelreich), Old Norse himinnrīki (Danish himmerige).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxe͜o.fonˌriː.t͡ʃe/, [ˈhe͜o.vonˌriː.t͡ʃe]

Noun

heofonrīċe n

1. kingdom of heaven

Declension

Strong ja-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	heofonrīċe	—
accusative	heofonrīċe	—
genitive	heofonrīċes	—
dative	heofonrīċe	—

Descendants

• English: heavenriche
• Middle English: heveneriche, hevene riche, hevene-riche, hevene-ryche, heven riche, hevenryche, heven-ryche, heveryche, hevynryche, heofennriche, heofenrice, heoveriche, hevenrice, heveriche (Early Middle English), heveneryke, heven rike, hevenryke, heven-ryke, hevin-rike, heyven-rike (Northern)
• →? Old Saxon: hevanrīki, hebanrīki, hebenrīki, heƀanrīki (calque)

References

• Joseph Bosworth; T. Northcote Toller (1898), “heofonríce”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, second edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.