Where does “geld” come from?
geld (German) comes from Middle High German gelt, from Old High German gelt, from Proto-West Germanic geld, from Proto-Germanic geldą, from Proto-Indo-European gʰeldʰ- — to repay, reward; to pay; to pay for, repay.
Ancestry of “geld”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | gelt | — |
| 2 | Old High German | gelt | payment, money |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | geld | money |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | geldą | That which is paid out; reward, gift, money |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰeldʰ- | to repay, reward; to pay; to pay for, repay |