Lordline

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The succession of descendants traced through a noble family headed by a lord
2. A lineage passed down through generations of a lord and his noble house
3. The chain of heirs descending from a titled lord within an aristocratic family

Etymology: Old English "hlāford" was built from "hlāf," meaning "loaf" or "bread," and "weard," meaning "keeper" or "guardian." An early lord was literally the keeper of the bread, the man who fed his household. Over the centuries the title moved from the provider of food to the holder of rank and land. "Line" comes through Old French from Latin "linea," which derives from "linum," flax, because a thread of flax was a line. Joining the two gives a compound meaning a line of lords, or a noble descent. Because the compound is transparent, its exact sense depends on the context where it appears.