Wergild
/ˈwɛr.ɡɪld/noun
A payment made in compensation for a killing or injury, especially in early Germanic law.
Did you know?In early Germanic societies, *wergild* was a formal legal mechanism meant to prevent endless blood feuds by turning vengeance into a payable debt.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wiHrós
“man, adult male”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*weraz
“man”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰeldʰ-
“to pay, repay, compensate”
Old English
OE
werġild
“a payment for a man slain; compensation for injury”
Middle English
ME
weregild
“compensation for a killing or injury under law”
Modern English
English
wergild
“compensation paid for a killing or serious injury”