noun
- the positions, ranks, or territories of thanes (Scottish feudal barons or Anglo-Saxon nobles)
Usage: historical; plural form
Examples
- The ancient thaneships were granted by the Scottish king to loyal nobles.
- Several thaneships changed hands after the Norman Conquest.
- The historian studied the boundaries of medieval thaneships in Scotland.
- These thaneships carried both privileges and military obligations.
- The decline of thaneships marked the end of the feudal system.
- Records show that some thaneships were hereditary while others were not.