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

• IPA^(key): /wiːld/
• Homophone: wield
• Rhymes: -iːld

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

• Harrow Weald
• wealdish

Related terms

• wold
• wald

Anagrams

• dwale, lawed, waled

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Old English

Alternative forms

• wald
• ƿeald — wynn spelling

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wæ͜ɑld/, [wæ͜ɑɫd]

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.

Declension of weald (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	weald	wealdas
accusative	weald	wealdas
genitive	wealdes	wealda
dative	wealde	wealdum

Descendants

• Middle English: wald

Etymology 2

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

Noun

weald n

1. power
2. authority

Related terms

• ġeweald