gewolt

== Middle Low German == === Etymology === From ge- +‎ wôlt, from Old Saxon wāld. The presence of the prefix is a regional variation going back to Old Saxon. Related to the verb wôlden (“reign, do as one pleases”) from the Proto-Germanic *walþą. Cognate with German Gewalt (“power, violence”). === Pronunciation === Stem vowel: ô² (originally) IPA(key): /ɣəˈwɔːlt/ or IPA(key): /ɣəˈwɔlt/ While the combination /ld/ originally lengthened the vowel in Old Saxon, in several Middle Low German dialects it was treated like a geminate, or had actually become /lː/, and in turn shortened long vowels occurring before it. Further, the vowel was shortened before /lt/ from final obstruent devoicing. Dialects then often begun to apply the more common vowel length across all forms. === Noun === gewôlt or gewolt f (dative gewôlde, plural gewôlden) power, capacity to impose one's will violence ==== Alternative forms ==== gewêlt