Where does “wergeld” come from?
wergeld (Middle English) comes from Old English wergeld, from Proto-West Germanic werageld, from Proto-West Germanic wer, from Proto-Germanic wēraz, from Proto-Indo-European wiHrós, from Proto-Indo-European weyh₁- — to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute.
Ancestry of “wergeld”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | wergeld | compensation for a man killed |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | werageld | compensation for a man's life, wergeld |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | wer | man |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wēraz | true; reliable; friendly; kind |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | wiHrós | man; husband; warrior, hero |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | weyh₁- | to chase, pursue; to suppress, persecute |