gield

Old English

Alternative forms

• ġild, ġyld, ġeld

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *geldą. Cognate with Old Frisian jeld, Old Saxon geld, Old High German gelt, Old Norse gjald, and Gothic 𐌲𐌹𐌻𐌳 (gild).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ji͜yld/, [ji͜yɫd]

Noun

ġield n

1. payment, pay
2. tax
3. tribute
4. cost, loss
5. guild
6. pagan god, idol
7. worship, especially to an idol or pagan god
8. sacrifice (religious offering)

Declension

Declension of ġield (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	ġield	ġield
accusative	ġield	ġield
genitive	ġieldes	ġielda
dative	ġielde	ġieldum

Derived terms

• æfterġield (“after-payment”)
• dēofolġield (“devil worship, idolatry”)
• edġield (“repayment”)
• friþġield (“society for the maintenance of peace and security”)
• frumġield (“first payment”)
• fēondġield (“idolatry, an idol”)
• godġield (“idol”)
• hǣþenġield (“idolatry”)
• nīedġield (“extortion”)
• þēofġield (“fine for stealing”)
• unġield (“improper or excessive tax”)
• werġield (“compensation for a man killed”)
• āngield (“single payment”)
• ġieldan (“to pay”)
• ġielddæġ (“day for a religious ceremony”)

 

Descendants

• Middle English: ȝeld
  • English: yield
  • Scots: ȝeld, ȝeild
• → Medieval Latin: geldum, gildum

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “ġild”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[1], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.