wald

wald · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*waldʰ-“to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*waldaną“to reign”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*waldan
4. Old English · inherited fromwealdan“to rule, control, determine, direct, command, govern, possess, wield, exercise, cause, bring about”
5. Northern Middle English · inherited fromwalde
6. English todaywald

From Northern Middle English walde, from Old English wealdan (“to rule, control, determine, direct, command, govern, possess, wield, exercise, cause, bring about”), from Proto-West Germanic *waldan, from Proto-Germanic *waldaną (“to reign”), from Proto-Indo-European *waldʰ- (“to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess”). Cognates Cognate with German walten (“to prevail, reign, dominate”), Danish volde (“to cause”), Icelandic valda (“to cause”), Lithuanian valda (“land property”), Lithuanian valdyti (“to rule”).

wald · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*waldʰ-“to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*waldą“power”
3. Old English · inherited fromweald“power, authority”
4. Northern Middle English · inherited fromwald
5. English todaywald

From Northern Middle English wald, from Old English weald (“power, authority”), from Proto-Germanic *waldą (“power”), from Proto-Indo-European *waldʰ- (“to be strong, be powerful, prevail, possess”). Cognate with German Gewalt (“force, power, control, violence”), Swedish våld (“force, violence”).

wald · noun³

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*wel-“to perceive, see”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*walþuz“forest”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*walþu
4. Old English · inherited fromwald
5. Northern Middle English · inherited fromwald
6. English todaywald

From Northern Middle English wald, 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 weald, wold, ultimately of the same origin.

Words from the same roots