Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/wald

This Proto-West Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-West Germanic

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *waldą. Deverbal noun from the root of *waldan.

Noun

*wald n

2. might, power, authority, force

Inflection

Neuter a-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*wald
Genitive	*waldas
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*wald	*waldu
Accusative	*wald	*waldu
Genitive	*waldas	*waldō
Dative	*waldē	*waldum
Instrumental	*waldu	*waldum

Derived terms

• *gawald
  • Old English: ġeweald
    • Middle English: iwald
  • Old Dutch: giwald, giwalt
    • Middle Dutch: gewout, gewelt
      • Dutch: geweld
  • Old High German: giwalt
    • Middle High German: gewalt
      • German: Gewalt
      • Hunsrik: Gewalt
      • Luxembourgish: Gewalt
      • Pennsylvania German: Gewalt
      • Yiddish: געװאַלד (gevald), געוואַלט (gevalt), גװאַלד (gvald), גוואַלט (gvalt)

Descendants

• Old English: weald
  • Middle English: wald
    • English: wald
• Old Dutch: *wald
• Old High German: walt

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *waldaz. Cognate with Old Norse valdr of the same meaning.

Noun

*wald m

2. wielder
4. ruler, leader

Inflection

Masculine a-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*wald
Genitive	*waldas
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*wald	*waldō, *waldōs
Accusative	*wald	*waldā
Genitive	*waldas	*waldō
Dative	*waldē	*waldum
Instrumental	*waldu	*waldum

Derived terms

• Frankish: *heriwald (“commander of an army; herald”)
  • Old French: heralt, heraut, hiraut
    • → Catalan: herald
    • → Danish: herold
    • → Middle Dutch: heraut
      • Dutch: heraut
    • → Old High German: heralt
      • Middle High German:
        • German: Herold
    • → Irish: aralt
    • → Italian: araldo
    • → Old Spanish: haraute
      • Spanish: faraute (“presenter (of the beginning of a comedy)”)
        • → French: faraud (“smug, proud (of one's appearance or clothing)”)
          • Louisiana Creole: faraud
    • → Old Swedish: härold
      • Swedish: härold
    • Middle French: herault, heraut
      • French: héraut
      • → Portuguese: arauto
      • → Spanish: heraldo
    • Anglo-Norman: heraud
      • → Middle English: herald, herauld, heraud
        • English: herald
• Frankish: *-wald
  • → Old French: -alt, -ault, -ald, -aud
    • ⇒ Old French: cucuault
      • → Middle English: cokewold, cokewald, cukewald, cukeweld, cokwold
        • English: cuckold
      • → Irish: cucól
    • Middle French: -aud
      • French: -aud
  • → Medieval Latin: -aldus

Etymology 3

From Proto-Germanic *waldaz. Cognate with Old Norse valdr (“causing, guilty of”).

Adjective

*wald

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

Inflection

a-stem
Singular	Masculine
Nominative	*wald
Genitive	*waldas
Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	*wald	*waldu	*wald
Accusative	*waldanā	*waldā	*wald
Genitive	*waldas	*waldeʀā	*waldas
Dative	*waldumē	*waldeʀē	*waldumē
Instrumental	*waldu	*waldeʀu	*waldu
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	*waldē	*waldō	*waldu
Accusative	*waldā	*waldā	*waldu
Genitive	*waldeʀō	*waldeʀō	*waldeʀō
Dative	*waldēm, *waldum	*waldēm, *waldum	*waldēm, *waldum
Instrumental	*waldēm, *waldum	*waldēm, *waldum	*waldēm, *waldum

Derived terms

• *gawald
  • Old High German:
    • Middle High German: gewalt (“enormous”)

Descendants

• Old English: weald

Further reading

• Vladimir Orel (2003) “*walđaz”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 443