What does wessex mean?

Definitions for wessex
ˈwɛs ɪkswes·sex

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word wessex.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. Wessexnoun

    a Saxon kingdom in southwestern England that became the most powerful English kingdom by the 10th century

Wiktionary

  1. Wessexnoun

    One of the seven major Anglo-Saxon kingdoms, existing between the 6th and 9th centuries, and comprising most of England south of the Thames.

  2. Etymology: The land of the West Saxons.

Wikipedia

  1. Wessex

    The Kingdom of Wessex (; Old English: Ƿestseaxna rīċe [ˈwestsæɑksnɑ ˈriːtʃe], lit. 'Kingdom of the West Saxons') was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of Great Britain, from 519 until England was unified by Æthelstan in 927. The Anglo-Saxons believed that Wessex was founded by Cerdic and Cynric of the Gewisse, but this may be a legend. The two main sources for the history of Wessex are the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the West Saxon Genealogical Regnal List, which sometimes conflict. Wessex became a Christian kingdom after Cenwalh was baptised and was expanded under his rule. Cædwalla later conquered Sussex, Kent and the Isle of Wight. His successor, Ine, issued one of the oldest surviving English law codes and established a second West Saxon bishopric. The throne subsequently passed to a series of kings with unknown genealogies. During the 8th century, as the hegemony of Mercia grew, Wessex largely retained its independence. It was during this period that the system of shires was established. Under Egbert, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Essex, and Mercia, along with parts of Dumnonia, were conquered. He also obtained the overlordship of the Northumbrian king. However, Mercian independence was restored in 830. During the reign of his successor, Æthelwulf, a Danish army arrived in the Thames estuary, but was decisively defeated. When Æthelwulf's son, Æthelbald, usurped the throne, the kingdom was divided to avoid war. Æthelwulf was succeeded in turn by his four sons, the youngest being Alfred the Great. Wessex was invaded by the Danes in 871, and Alfred was compelled to pay them to leave. They returned in 876, but were forced to withdraw. In 878 they forced Alfred to flee to the Somerset Levels, but were eventually defeated at the Battle of Edington. During his reign Alfred issued a new law code, gathered scholars to his court and was able to devote funds to building ships, organising an army and establishing a system of burhs. Alfred's son, Edward, captured the eastern Midlands and East Anglia from the Danes and became ruler of Mercia in 918 upon the death of his sister, Æthelflæd. Edward's son, Æthelstan, conquered Northumbria in 927, and England became a unified kingdom for the first time. Cnut the Great, who conquered England in 1016, created the wealthy and powerful earldom of Wessex, but in 1066 Harold Godwinson reunited the earldom with the crown and Wessex ceased to exist.

ChatGPT

  1. wessex

    Wessex was one of the seven kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon period in England, existing from the 6th to the 11th century. The region covered what is now mostly the southern part of England. It was founded by Cerdic in 519. During the reign of King Egbert in the 9th century, Wessex became the dominant Anglo-Saxon kingdom. Its capital was Winchester, a city that also served as the capital of England until the Norman conquest.

Wikidata

  1. Wessex

    The Kingdom of Wessex or Kingdom of the West Saxons was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in south-west England, from the 6th century until the emergence of a unified English state in the 10th century. The Anglo-Saxons believed that Wessex was founded by Cerdic and Cynric, but it is possible that this account is a legend. The two main sources for the kings of Wessex are the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the West Saxon Genealogical Regnal List, which conflict and cannot be fully reconciled. After Cenwealh was baptised, Wessex became a Christian kingdom. His conversion may have been connected with an alliance against Penda of Mercia, who had attacked Wessex and forced him into temporary exile. During Cenwealh's rule the territory of the West Saxons was expanded. A later king, Cædwalla, conquered Sussex, Kent and the Isle of Wight. His successor, Ine, issued one of the oldest surviving English codes of laws and established a second West Saxon bishopric. After Ine, the throne then passed to a series of kings with unknown genealogies. During the 8th century, as the hegemony of Mercia grew, the kings of Wessex were largely able to maintain their independence. It was during this period that the West Saxon system of shires was established. The fortunes of the kingdom were transformed when Egbert conquered part of Dumnonia, seized control of Surrey, Sussex, Kent and Essex, conquered Mercia and secured the overlordship of the Northumbrian king, although Mercian independence was restored in 830. During the reign of his successor Æthelwulf, a Danish army arrived in the Thames estuary but was decisively defeated. When Æthelwulf's son Æthelbald ascended to the throne, the kingdom was divided to avoid bloodshed. Æthelwulf was succeeded in turn by his four sons, the youngest being Alfred the Great.

The Nuttall Encyclopedia

  1. Wessex

    a territory in the SW. of England, inhabited by Saxons who landed at Southampton in 514, known as the West Saxons, and who gradually extended their dominion over territory beyond it till, under Egbert, their king, they became supreme over the other kingdoms of the Heptarchy.

Etymology and Origins

  1. Wessex

    The great kingdom of the West Seaxe, or West Saxons, under the Heptarchy.

Matched Categories

How to pronounce wessex?

How to say wessex in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of wessex in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of wessex in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of wessex in a Sentence

  1. Christopher Barker:

    Compton Bay is a famous site for dinosaur fossils on the Isle of Wight. Most of these come from the older Wessex Formation, which was teaming with dinosaurs, our spinosaurs are indeed from the Vectis Formation, and bones( dinosaurs or otherwise) are rare in that formation( which is made up of several rock layers).

  2. Gareth Williams:

    This hoard has the potential to provide important new information on relations between Mercia and Wessex.

  3. Spun Gold:

    This is a very horse-driven family, diana didn’t go well with horses. That was the beginning of that fairy tale not ending terribly well. Sophie, Countess of Wessex who is married to the queen’s youngest son, had to learn how to ride. You have to like horses to ride with the queen. And so much of the royal diary is built around the equestrian world… One of the most important events from the queen’s diary for the whole year is the Royal Windsor Horse Show. And that will be happening on the weekend before the royal wedding… The queen has never, ever missed it. It’s really important to her.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

wessex#10000#33083#100000

Translations for wessex

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for wessex »

Translation

Find a translation for the wessex definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"wessex." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 25 Apr. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/wessex>.

Discuss these wessex definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for wessex? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    wessex

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse Definitions.net

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    add details, as to an account or idea
    A fluster
    B aberrate
    C exacerbate
    D lucubrate

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for wessex: