In feudal law, the eldest or first son; the right of primogeniture or the status of being the firstborn son in a noble family.
From Old French 'eignié' (eldest), derived from Latin 'senior' (older). Used in medieval English law to describe inheritance rights of the eldest son.
Eigne rights shaped European history—if you weren't the eigne, you might get nothing when your father died, which is why younger sons became knights, priests, or adventurers!
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