Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Danegeld” come from?

Danegeld (English) comes from Middle English danegeld, from Middle English geld, from Old English geld, from Proto-Germanic *geld, from Proto-Germanic geldą, from Proto-Indo-European gʰeldʰ- — to repay, reward; to pay; to pay for, repay.

Danegeld (English): A tax raised originally to protect against Viking...

Definitions

  1. A tax raised originally to protect against Viking...

Ancestry of “Danegeld”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishdanegeld—
2Middle Englishgeldgeld, tribute, payment
3Old Englishgeld—
4Proto-Germanic*geld—
5Proto-GermanicgeldąThat which is paid out; reward, gift, money
6Proto-Indo-Europeangʰeldʰ-to repay, reward; to pay; to pay for, repay
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gʰeldʰ- →