weald

See also: Weald

English

Etymology

From Middle English weeld, wæld, (also wold, wald > English wold), from Old English weald, from Proto-Germanic *walþuz. Compare German Wald, Dutch woud. See also wold, ultimately of the same origin.

Pronunciation

  • (UK) IPA(key): /wi.əld/

Noun

weald (plural wealds)

  1. (archaic) A wood or forest
  2. (archaic) An open country
    • Tennyson
      Fled all night long by glimmering waste and weald, / And heard the spirits of the waste and weald / Moan as she fled.

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

Anagrams

Old English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /wæɑld/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *walþuz, whence also Old High German wald (German Wald) and Old Norse vǫllr (Faroese vøllur, Norwegian voll, Icelandic völlur). See also the related Anglian-derived term wald.

Noun

weald m

  1. forest

Declension

A u-stem dative singular form, wealda, is also attested.

Descendants

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *waldą, whence also Old High German walt, Old Norse vald (Danish vold).

Noun

weald n

  1. power
  2. authority
Usage notes

Also used in the form ġeweald.

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