Interrelation of Etymology and Semantics in Old English Lexis of Authority

The main aim of the article is to investigate the extent to which the meaning and the use of a word, or its semantics, is determined by its etymology in Old English poetry and legal documents. Five lexical items have been selected for analysis, which are commonly used in both types of texts – the designations of a ruler or a noble person, such as cyning, dryhten, hlāford, ealdor(mon) and þegn. For each word, its etymology and etymological meaning (the nomination model) are established. Then, through contextual analysis, the role of etymological meaning in the functioning of the word in the text is explored. Special attention is given to the modes in which etymological meaning is expressed. In conclusion, some deductions are drawn about the interrelation between etymology and semasiology, the degree of their interaction in Old English poetry and legal documents, and the causes of the disparity between these degrees in the two types of texts.