Yeld
/jɛld/noun
A dialectal word meaning barren or not producing offspring, especially of a female animal.
Did you know?Yeld is probably a regional form of geld, a word historically used for animals that were barren or had been deprived of reproductive capacity.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*gelda-
“Barren or sexually unproductive; the reconstructed ancestor is associated with the Germanic family behind geld.”
Old Norse
Old Norse
gelldr
“Barren, especially describing an animal unable to reproduce.”
Middle English
Middle English
yeld
“Barren or infertile; a regional form influenced by the related word geld.”
15th–16th Century
English
yeld
“Used chiefly in regional speech for a female animal that was barren or not bearing young.”
Modern English
English
yeld
“A rare dialectal adjective meaning barren or nonproductive, especially of livestock.”