wergild Definition
money paid to the relatives of a murdered person in compensation.
Using wergild: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "wergild" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
In some cultures, wergild was paid to the family of the victim as compensation for the crime.
Example
The amount of wergild varied depending on the social status of the victim.
Example
Wergild was an important part of Anglo-Saxon law.
wergild Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for wergild
- blood money
- death price
- man price
Phrases with wergild
Example
The killer was ordered to pay wergild to the victim's family.
Example
The family of the victim collected wergild from the killer.
Example
The two families settled wergild for the murder of their son.
Origins of wergild
Old English 'wer' meaning 'man' + 'gild' meaning 'payment'
Summary: wergild in Brief
'Wergild' [ˈwɜːrɡɪld] is a noun that refers to the compensation paid to the relatives of a murdered person. It was an important part of Anglo-Saxon law and varied depending on the social status of the victim. Phrases like 'pay wergild' and 'settle wergild' describe the process of paying compensation.
