Alderman For other uses, see Alderman (disambiguation). An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council member elected by voters. [1] The title is derived from the Old English title of ealdorman, literally meaning "elder man", and was used by the chief nobles presiding over shires. Similar titles exists in Scandinavian countries, such as the Danish "Olderman", which also means "elder man" or "wise man". It is possible that this harkens back to tribal societies, but since these often lie before written history, it is unknown how far back it goes. An Olderman could be a retired chieftain, or otherwise important member of the tribe that had retired due to old age. It has the advantage of retaining the knowledge of the old leader within a field, without challenging the new leader.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 08:06:49 +0000
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