giedd

Old English

Alternative forms

• ġidd, ġydd, ġedd, ġied, ġid, ġyd, ġed

Etymology

There are no exact cognates, though the shape of the word points to a Proto-Germanic *gadją. This would make the ⟨ie⟩ from fronting of *a, palatal diphthongization and i-umlaut, and the geminate ⟨d⟩ from West Germanic gemination which was eventually leveled into the nominative/accusative singular, a development which happened to almost all ja-stems with light root syllables (see hyse).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ji͜ydd/, [ji͜yd]

Noun

ġiedd n (West Saxon)

1. (poetic) story, tale, song, poem

Usage notes

• Tolkien, in his notes on Beowulf, says: “Gyd (Early West Saxon giedd, other dialects gedd) is a word of wide or vague application in Old English verse. It seems able to be used of any formal utterance, discourse, or recitation. Thus Hrothgar calls his discourse or sermon a gydd, while Beowulf's formal words when handing over the gifts to Hygelac are called gyd (‘appointed words’). But from various uses, and connexion with gléo (as gidd ond gléo), it is plain that it can mean what we would call a lay.”

Declension

Declension of ġiedd (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	ġiedd	ġiedd
accusative	ġiedd	ġiedd
genitive	ġieddes	ġiedda
dative	ġiedde	ġieddum

Derived terms

• ġieddian
• sōþġiedd

Descendants

• Middle English: ȝedd, ȝed
  • English: yed
  • Scots: yed