wergeld
|wer-geld|
🇺🇸
/ˈwɝɡɛld/
🇬🇧
/ˈwɜːɡɛld/
man-price; payment for a life
Etymology
'wergeld' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'werġild', where 'wer' meant 'man' and 'gild' meant 'payment, compensation'.
'wergeld' changed from Old English 'werġild' into Middle English forms such as 'wergeld' or 'wergild' and eventually appears in modern English as 'wergeld' (an archaic or technical term).
Initially, it meant 'the price of a man' (compensation paid for a killing); over time the core meaning has remained but the term has become archaic and largely specialized to historical or legal-historical contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a sum of money or compensation paid under early Germanic law to the family of a person who was killed; literally the 'man-price' paid to avoid blood vengeance.
Under Anglo-Saxon law the murderer was often required to pay a wergeld to the victim's kin.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/23 01:28