weorold

Old English

Alternative forms

• weorld, weoruld, woruld, worold, world, wiorld, wyrold, wiarald, wuruld

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *weraldi, from Proto-Germanic *weraldiz, a compound of *weraz (“man”) +‎ *aldiz (“age”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwe͜o.rold/, [ˈwe͜o.roɫd]

Noun

weorold f

1. world
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     Forþon iċ ġeþenċan ne mæġ · ġeond þās woruld
     for hwan mōdsefa(n) · mīn(ne) ġesweorce

     Thus I cannot think over through this world
     why would (not) my heart darken

2. existence, state of existence (often of mundane or worldly things, as opposed to spiritual)
3. earthly things, temporal possessions
4. men and things upon earth
5. an age

   Synonym: ieldu

6. a person's lifetime

   Þā menn wunodon ealla heora weorolda on synne

   Those people lived in sin for their entire lives

7. the course of human affairs

Usage notes

• Typically used without the word for "the": Nis þæt ġerȳne hū weorold is, ac þæt hēo is ("The wonder is not how the world is, but that it is").

Declension

Declension of weorold (strong i-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	weorold	weorolde, weorolda
accusative	weorold, weorolde	weorolde, weorolda
genitive	weorolde	weorolda
dative	weorolde	weoroldum

Synonyms

• middanġeard

Descendants

• Middle English: world
  • English: world
  • Scots: warld