Definitions For Arval

Noun

ARVAL (plural ARVALs) (Scotland, &, Northern England, now, rare) A funeral feast or wake at which bread and ale was served, traditional in Scotland, the North of England, and among the norse. (rare, chiefly, historical) The ale served at such a wake, the drinking of which was a ritually significant act in Norse culture. (Lancashire) The money given to hunters, at the death of a fox, in order to buy ale.

Usage notes

funeral feast This noun is frequently used attributively, as in arval supper, arval dinner, arval-bread, and so on.

Derived terms

arval-bread arval-cake arval-dinner arval-supper

Alternative forms

arfal, arvel, arvil, arvill, arvall, arvel, arvell, averill

Etymology

From {{der, en, enm, arvell}}, from {{der, en, non, erfiǫl, , a funeral feast}}{{R:ODS online, arveøl}}: "eng. dial. (laant fra nord.) arvall, arvel", English dial. (borrowed from Old Norse) arvall, arvel, from arfr, , inheritance + öl, , ale. Cognate with {{cog, da, arveøl, , a wake, funeral feast}}. More at erf, ale.