weald
English
Etymology
From Middle English wald, walde, weld, welde, wold, wolde, woolde, wæld, from Old English wald, weald, from Proto-West Germanic *walþu, from Proto-Germanic *walþuz (“forest”), possibly from a Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to perceive, see”) or *welH- (“to roll, undulate”). Largely displaced by forest.
Compare North Frisian wald, walt (“forest”), Saterland Frisian Woold (“forest”), West Frisian wâld (“forest”), Alemannic German and German Wald (“forest, woods”), Bavarian Woid (“forest, woods”), Cimbrian balt (“forest, woods”), Dutch woud (“forest, woods”), Low German Woold, Woolt (“forest”), Luxembourgish Wal (“forest”), Mòcheno bòlt (“wood, woodland”), Yiddish וואַלד (vald, “forest”), Danish val (“plain”), vold (“field, meadow”), Faroese vøllur (“lawn; field”), Icelandic völlur (“lawn; field”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk voll (“meadow”), Swedish vall (“field, pasture”); also Hittite 𒌑𒂊𒂖𒇻𒍑 (ú-e-el-lu-uš, “meadow, pasture”). See also wald, wold, ultimately of the same origin.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /wiːld/
Audio (Southern England): (file) - (General American) IPA(key): /wild/
- Rhymes: -iːld
- Homophones: wealed, wheeled, wield
Noun
weald (plural wealds)
- (archaic) A forest or wood.
- (archaic) An open country.
- 1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Guinevere”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 231:
- [S]he to Almesbury / Fled all night long by glimmering waste and weald, / And heard the Spirits of the waste and weald / Moan as she fled, or thought she heard them moan: […]
Usage notes
In modern usage, the term is seldom used, but is retained in place names, for example The Weald, Wealdstone, Harrow Weald.
Derived terms
Related terms
See also
Anagrams
Old English
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /wæ͜ɑld/, [wæ͜ɑɫd]
- Rhymes: -æ͜ɑld
Etymology 1
From Proto-West Germanic *walþu.
Noun
weald m
Declension
A u-stem dative singular form, wealda, is also attested. Strong a-stem:
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | weald | wealdas |
| accusative | weald | wealdas |
| genitive | wealdes | wealda |
| dative | wealde | wealdum |
Descendants
Etymology 2
From Proto-West Germanic *wald, Proto-Germanic *waldą, whence also Old High German walt, Old Norse vald (Danish vold).
Noun
weald n
Declension
Strong a-stem:
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | weald | — |
| accusative | weald | — |
| genitive | wealdes | — |
| dative | wealde | — |
Derived terms
Related terms
Descendants
Etymology 3
From Proto-West Germanic *wald, from Proto-Germanic *waldaz.
Adjective
weald
Declension
| Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | weald | weald | weald |
| Accusative | wealdne | wealde | weald |
| Genitive | wealdes | wealdre | wealdes |
| Dative | wealdum | wealdre | wealdum |
| Instrumental | wealde | wealdre | wealde |
| Plural | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
| Nominative | wealde | wealda, wealde | weald |
| Accusative | wealde | wealda, wealde | weald |
| Genitive | wealdra | wealdra | wealdra |
| Dative | wealdum | wealdum | wealdum |
| Instrumental | wealdum | wealdum | wealdum |
| Singular | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominative | wealda | wealde | wealde |
| Accusative | wealdan | wealdan | wealde |
| Genitive | wealdan | wealdan | wealdan |
| Dative | wealdan | wealdan | wealdan |
| Instrumental | wealdan | wealdan | wealdan |
| Plural | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter |
| Nominative | wealdan | wealdan | wealdan |
| Accusative | wealdan | wealdan | wealdan |
| Genitive | wealdra, wealdena | wealdra, wealdena | wealdra, wealdena |
| Dative | wealdum | wealdum | wealdum |
| Instrumental | wealdum | wealdum | wealdum |