geld

Meanings

1. Money.
2. A payment.
3. In particular, (money paid as) a medieval form of land tax.

1. To tax geld.

1. To castrate a male (usually an animal).
2. To suppress or severely reduce sexual desire or libido.
3. To deprive of anything essential; to weaken.

1. A female animal, such as a ewe or cow, that is not pregnant.

Etymology

From Middle English geld and reinforced by Medieval Latin geldum, both from Old English geld, ġield (“payment, tribute”), from Proto-West Germanic *geld, from Proto-Germanic *geldą (“reward, gift, money”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeldʰ- (“to pay”). Probably reinforced by gelt (which see), see Norwegian Bokmål gjeld (“debt”), Danish gæld (“debt”). Geld is also written gelt or gild, and as such found in wergild, Danegeld, etc. Doublet of yield. Cognates Cognate with North Frisian jild (“money”), Saterland Frisian Jield, Jäild (“money”), Dutch geld (“money”), German Geld (“money”), Old Norse gjald (“payment”), Gothic 𐌲𐌹𐌻𐌳 (gild, “tribute”). Also related to English yield.