weald

See also: Weald

English

Etymology

From Middle English wald, walde, weld, welde, wold, wolde, woolde, wæld, from Old English wald, weald, from Proto-West Germanic *walþu, from Proto-Germanic *walþuz (“forest”), possibly from a Proto-Indo-European *wel- (“to perceive, see”) or *welH- (“to roll, undulate”). Largely displaced by forest.

Cognates

Compare North Frisian wald, walt (“forest”), Saterland Frisian Woold (“forest”), West Frisian wâld (“forest”), Alemannic German and German Wald (“forest, woods”), Bavarian Woid (“forest, woods”), Cimbrian balt (“forest, woods”), Dutch woud (“forest, woods”), Low German Woold, Woolt (“forest”), Luxembourgish Wal (“forest”), Mòcheno bòlt (“wood, woodland”), Yiddish וואַלד (vald, “forest”), Danish val (“plain”), vold (“field, meadow”), Faroese vøllur (“lawn; field”), Icelandic völlur (“lawn; field”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk voll (“meadow”), Swedish vall (“field, pasture”); also Hittite 𒌑𒂊𒂖𒇻𒍑 (ú-e-el-lu-uš, “meadow, pasture”). See also wald, wold, ultimately of the same origin.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /wiːld/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /wild/
• Rhymes: -iːld
• Homophones: wealed, wheeled, wield

Noun

weald (plural wealds)

1. (archaic) A forest or wood.
2. (archaic) An open country.
   • 1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Guinevere”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 231:

     [S]he to Almesbury / Fled all night long by glimmering waste and weald, / And heard the Spirits of the waste and weald / Moan as she fled, or thought she heard them moan: […]

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
• North Weald, North Weald Bassett
• Sevenoaks Weald
• South Weald
• Wealden
• wealdish

Related terms

• wold
• wald

See also

• firth
• grove
• holt
• hurst
• shaw
• thicket
• tree
• wald
• wold
• wood
• woods

Anagrams

• Wadle, dwale, lawed, waled

Old English

Alternative forms

• wald

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /wæ͜ɑld/, [wæ͜ɑɫd]
• Rhymes: -æ͜ɑld

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *walþu.

Cognates

See 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

2. forest

   Synonyms: fyrhþ, holt, trēow, wudu

Declension

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

	singular	plural
nominative	weald	wealdas
accusative	weald	wealdas
genitive	wealdes	wealda
dative	wealde	wealdum

Descendants

• Middle English: wold, wald, walde, weld, welde, wolde, woolde, wæld (Early Middle English)
  • English: wold, weald, wald
  • Scots: wald

Etymology 2

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

Noun

weald n

2. power
3. authority

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	weald	—
accusative	weald	—
genitive	wealdes	—
dative	wealde	—

Derived terms

• Æþelweald
• Beorhtweald
• Beornweald
• Cēnweald
• Cyneweald
• Deneweald
• Dēorweald
• Dryhtweald
• Dūnweald
• Ēadweald
• Earnweald
• Eċġweald
• Eorcenweald
• Friþuweald
• Grimweald
• Hereweald
• Ingweald
• Lēodweald
• Lēofweald
• Ōsweald
• Rǣdweald
• Sċīrweald
• Siġeweald
• Torhtweald
• Wealdhelm
• Wealdrǣd
• Wulfweald

Related terms

• ġeweald
• wealdan
• wieldan

Descendants

• Middle English: wald
  • English: wald
  • Scots: wald, wauld

Etymology 3

From Proto-West Germanic *wald, from Proto-Germanic *waldaz.

Adjective

weald

2. powerful, mighty
3. reigning, ruling, having authority

Declension

Declension of weald — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	weald	weald	weald
Accusative	wealdne	wealde	weald
Genitive	wealdes	wealdre	wealdes
Dative	wealdum	wealdre	wealdum
Instrumental	wealde	wealdre	wealde
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	wealde	wealda, wealde	weald
Accusative	wealde	wealda, wealde	weald
Genitive	wealdra	wealdra	wealdra
Dative	wealdum	wealdum	wealdum
Instrumental	wealdum	wealdum	wealdum

Declension of weald — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	wealda	wealde	wealde
Accusative	wealdan	wealdan	wealde
Genitive	wealdan	wealdan	wealdan
Dative	wealdan	wealdan	wealdan
Instrumental	wealdan	wealdan	wealdan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	wealdan	wealdan	wealdan
Accusative	wealdan	wealdan	wealdan
Genitive	wealdra, wealdena	wealdra, wealdena	wealdra, wealdena
Dative	wealdum	wealdum	wealdum
Instrumental	wealdum	wealdum	wealdum