Meaning
A funeral feast or wake at which bread and ale was served, traditional in Scotland, the North of England, and among the Norse.
Etymology
Origin: Middle English
Etymology tree Old Norse arfr Old Norse öl Old Norse erfiǫlder. Middle English arvellder. English arval From Middle English arvell, from Old Norse erfiǫl (“a funeral feast”), from arfr (“inheritance”) + öl (“ale”). Cognate with Danish arveøl (“a wake, funeral feast”). More at erf, ale.
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026.