witenagemot
/ˈwɪt(ə)nəɡɪˌməʊt
/noun historical
An Anglo-Saxon national council or parliament. Also called witan.The witenagemot chose Harold, earl of Wessex, although his only claim to the throne was his availability....
- The last act of the witenagemot in England was to choose Harold, Earl of Wessex, as King in 1066, a fatal choice.
- Since Moholland is back at base in Norfolk, the witenagemot will try to have it delivered by an important person drawn from the field of politics.
Origin
Old English, from witena, genitive plural of wita 'wise man' + gemōt 'meeting' (compare with moot).