weregild
|were-gild|
/ˈwɛrɡɪld/
payment for a life
Etymology
'weregild' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'wergild', where 'wer' meant 'man' and 'gild' meant 'payment' (or 'tribute').
'weregild' changed from Old English 'wergild', which itself reflects Proto-Germanic elements '*weraz' (man) and '*geldą' (payment). Through medieval usage and variant spellings (wergild, wergeld, weregeld) it entered modern English as 'weregild' (also attested in variant forms).
Initially it meant 'man-payment' (a literal payment for a man), but over time it evolved to the legal sense 'a set compensation for homicide' used in historical and legal contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a payment or compensation, especially in early Germanic law, paid by a killer (or the killer's family) to the victim's family; the value set for a person's life.
Under Anglo-Saxon law, the weregild for a nobleman was higher than for a commoner.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/23 01:39