gierd

Old English

Alternative forms

• ġyrd, ġird, ġerd

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *gaʀdi.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ji͜yrd/, [ji͜yrˠd]

Noun

ġierd f

1. rod, staff
   • c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English

     Iċ wille þē slēan mid ġierde.

     I want to hit you with a rod.

2. branch, twig
3. (unit of measurement) the rod, perch, or pole of around 15 feet used in computing acres
4. (unit of measurement) the yard, yardland, or virgate of around 30 acres used in dividing hides of land

Usage notes

• The predecessor of the English term yard (measure of length) and sometimes translated as such, but probably not ever equal to an ell (ulna) of 3 feet until the Middle English period.

Declension

Strong i-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	ġierd	ġierde, ġierda
accusative	ġierd, ġierde	ġierde, ġierda
genitive	ġierde	ġierda
dative	ġierde	ġierdum

Derived terms

• cyneġierd
• lang ġierd

Related terms

• ġeard

Descendants

• Middle English: ȝerde, yerd, yerde, ȝerd, ȝearde, yarde, ȝeorde, ȝeord, ȝarde, ȝyrde, ȝeird, yherd, yherde
  • English: yard, yerd
  • Scots: yaird, yeard, yird