bield
Boldness, courage; confidence; a feeling of security, assurance.
Noun
- Boldness, courage; confidence; a feeling of security, assurance.
- Resource, help, relief; a means of help or relief; support; sustenance.
- Shelter, refuge or protection.
- This breast, this bosom soft, shall be thy bield / 'Gainst storms of arrows, darts, and weapons thrown. - 1600, Edward Fairfax, The Jerusalem Delivered of Tasso, Book XVI, xlix
- A place of shelter, a refuge.
Origin
From Middle English belde, beeld, beld, from Old English bieldu (“courage, boldness”), from Proto-Germanic *balþį̄ (“boldness”), from *balþaz (“bold”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to inflate, swell”). Cognate with Old High German baldī (“boldness, courage”) (Middle High German belde), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌴𐌹 (balþei, “boldness, courage”). More at bold.
Forms
Related
Derived
Verb
- To make bold, give courage or confidence to.
- To defend, protect or shelter.
Origin
From Middle English beelden, belden, from Old English byldan, bieldan (“to encourage, embolden”), from Proto-Germanic *balþijaną (“to make bold”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to inflate, swell”). Cognate with Old Saxon beldjan (“to encourage”), Old High German baldēn (“to make bold”) (Middle High German belden), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌾𐌰𐌽 (balþjan, “to make bold”).