An archaic or poetic term for a young man of noble birth, or a young person or child in general.
From Old English 'cild' (child). By medieval times, 'childe' came to specifically denote a young nobleman or knight not yet dubbed, as seen in literature like 'Childe Harold.' The word elevated 'child' to indicate rank and maturity.
'Childe Harold' became famous through Byron's poem, but the word itself appears throughout medieval literature to distinguish young nobles—it's a linguistic marker showing that childhood for the wealthy elite was already becoming a special, protected status.
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