An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Geld

by Friedrich Kluge

Geld, neuter, ‘money, coin, cash,’ from Middle High German and Old High German gëlt (t; the d first occurs in Modern High German), neuter, masculine, ‘recompense, compensation, revenue, income, paying, payment, money,’ Dutch geld, ‘money.’ ‘Means for paying, coin,’ is the latest sense of the words quoted (compare Gothic gild, ‘tax, interest’); it is wanting in the corresponding words of the other dialects; in Gothic the term is faihu (see Vieh), and skatts (see Schatz), Anglo-Saxon feoh, English money. On the other hand, Anglo-Saxon gild signifies ‘recompense, compensation, sacrifice.’ See gelten.