wapentake

pronunciation

How to pronounce wapentake in British English: UK ['wɒpənteɪk]word uk audio image

How to pronounce wapentake in American English: US ['wɒpənˌteɪk] word us audio image

Word Origin

wapentake (n.)
division of certain English counties (equivalent to a hundred in other places), Old English wæpengetæc "division of a riding," from Old Norse vapnatak, from vapna, genitive plural of vapn "weapon" (see weapon) + tak "a touching, a taking hold, a grasping," from taka "to take, grasp," from Proto-Germanic *tak- (see take (v.)). Perhaps it originally was an armed muster with inspection of weapons, or else an assembly where consent was expressed by brandishing swords and spears.