wapentake
- (formerly in N England and the Midlands) a subdivision of a shire or county corresponding to a hundred.
Origin of wapentake
Examples from the Web for wapentake
Historical Examples of wapentake
The "Trithing" was a Danish institution, so also was the wapentake.
The Danes in Lancashire and YorkshireS. W. Partington
Beside one smaller estate there are in this wapentake three manors.
Domesday Book and BeyondFrederic William Maitland
The origin of the wapentake is woepenge-toc, woepentac, from the Icelandic vapnatak.
Cathedral Cities of EnglandGeorge Gilbert
We believe that even the word "wapentake" has changed its meaning.
The Man Who LaughsVictor Hugo
It was the wapentake striking his wand against a sheet of iron.
The Man Who LaughsVictor Hugo
wapentake
- English legal history a subdivision of certain shires or counties, esp in the Midlands and North of England, corresponding to the hundred in other shires
Word Origin for wapentake
Word Origin and History for wapentake
division of certain English counties (equivalent to a hundred in other places), Old English wæpengetæc, from Old Norse vapnatak, from vapna, genitive plural of vapn "weapon" (see weapon) + tak "touching," from taka "to take, grasp." Perhaps it originally was an armed muster with inspection of weapons, or else an assembly where consent was expressed by brandishing swords and spears.