edling means an heir apparent of a reigning Welsh monarch in the medieval period. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 94 out of 100.
edling is pronounced /ˈɛdlɪŋ/.
Why “edling” is a great word
EDLING — [Noun] The designated heir apparent to a reigning king in the medieval Welsh principalities. Borrowed from Welsh edling, from Middle Welsh edling, edlyg, from Old English eþeling (Mercian form of æþeling, meaning "prince, nobleman"), possibly through an intermediate Middle English *edelyng. Unlike "atheling" (which broadly denotes an Anglo-Saxon prince of the blood) or "heir presumptive" (whose claim remains contingent), an edling was the singular, acknowledged successor. He is the young man at his father's right hand in the candlelit hall, the name invoked in treaties to assure continuity, the weight of a future kingdom settling upon untested shoulders—a solitary promise of order in a realm of contested tomorrows.
Etymology
Borrowed from Welsh edling, from Middle Welsh edling, edlyg, from Old English eþeling, Mercian form of æþeling, possibly through an intermediate Middle English *edelyng. Doublet of atheling.
The modern pronunciation with /d/ is either a spelling pronunciation (in Middle Welsh, represented /ð/) or represents the development of earlier /ðl/ into /dl/ in Middle English.
noun
- An heir apparent of a reigning Welsh monarch in the medieval period.