Where does “gelding” come from?
Gelding comes from Old Norse geldingr, derived from Old Norse geldr, which traces to Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃-, a root meaning to deprive or castrate.
gelding (English): A castrated male horse; Any castrated male...
Definitions
- A castrated male horse; Any castrated male...
Ancestry of “gelding”, step by step
gelding traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English geld
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | geld | Money; To castrate a male; To deprive of anything... |
| 2 | Middle English | geld | geld, tribute, payment |
| 3 | Old English | geld | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *geld | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | geldą | That which is paid out; reward, gift, money |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰeldʰ- | to repay, reward; to pay; to pay for, repay |
via Middle English geldyng
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | geldyng | a gelded horse, gelding |
| 2 | Old Norse | geldingr | wether |
| 3 | Old Norse | gelda | to castrate; to geld, castrate |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *galdijaną | to geld, castrate |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰel- | to shine, glimmer, glow; to shimmer, gleam;... |