Guild
/ɡɪld/noun
An association of people with a common trade or interest, especially one with historical power in medieval towns.
Did you know?Guild is historically connected to Old English gield meaning a payment, tribute, or sacrificial offering, so the word’s roots sit at the crossroads of money, duty, and ritual obligation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰeldʰ-
“to pay, repay, or compensate”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*geldą
“payment, tribute, or sacrifice”
Old English
OE
gield
“payment, tribute, sacrificial offering, or association formed for mutual support”
Old English / Middle English
OE/ME
gild
“a fellowship or association of people united by a common purpose, especially a trade”
Modern English
English
guild
“an organized association of craftsmen or merchants”