A thegn or thane was an attendant, servant, retainer, or official in Early Medieval Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon culture. The word in Anglo-Saxon is þeg(e)n, in Old High German degan, and in Old Norse þegn ("thane, franklin, freeman, man"). . In the Domesday Book "thegn" is tainus in the Latin form. The thegn had a military significance, and its usual Latin translation was miles, meaning soldier, although minister was often used. Joseph Bosworth describes a thegn as "one engaged… (More on Thegn)