wergild
/ˈwɛrɡɪld/
noun
- Alternative spelling of weregild: a sum of money paid as compensation for a killing in early Germanic law.
- Paying the wergild could restore peace between warring clans.
- The wergild was calculated based on the victim's social standing.
- In some tribes, the wergild for a woman was half that of a man of the same rank.
Synonyms