An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Hagestolz

by Friedrich Kluge

Hagestolz, masculine, ‘old bachelor,’ from Middle High German hagestolz, masculine, a strange corruption of the earlier hagestalt, Old High German hagastalt, masculine, properly ‘possessor of an enclosure’ (allied to Gothic staldan, ‘to possess’); a West Teutonic legal term, which originated before the Anglo-Saxons crossed to England (compare also Old Icelandic haukstaldr). It was used in contrast to the owner of the manor-house, which was inherited by the eldest son, in accordance with the Old Teutonic custom of primogeniture, and signified the owner of a small enclosed plot of ground, such as fell to the other sons, who could not set up a house of their own, and were often entirely dependent on their eldest brother. Even in Old High German glosses, hagustalt as an adjective is used for Latin caelebs (hagustalt lîp, ‘single life’), and even for mercenarius, ‘hired labourer’; Middle High German hagestalt, masculine, ‘single man’; Old Saxon hagustald, masculine, ‘farm-servant, servant, young man’; Anglo-Saxon hœgsteald, hagosteald, masculine, ‘youth, warrior.’ The same phases in the development of meaning may be seen in the Romance-Latin baccalaureus, French bachelier, English bachelor.