bield

Etymology

From Middle English belde, beeld, beld, from Old English bieldu (“courage, boldness”), from Proto-Germanic *balþį̄ (“boldness”), from *balþaz (“bold”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to inflate, swell”). Cognate with Old High German baldī (“boldness, courage”) (Middle High German belde), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐌸𐌴𐌹 (balþei, “boldness, courage”). More at bold.

bield means boldness, courage; confidence; a feeling of security, assurance. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 85 out of 100.

Why “bield” is a great word

BIELD — [Noun, Verb] A noun meaning a place of shelter or a source of courage; a verb meaning to give shelter or to embolden. From Middle English belde, beeld, from Old English bieldu ("courage, boldness"), from Proto-Germanic *balþį̄ ("boldness"), from *balþaz ("bold"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- ("to inflate, swell"). Unlike "shelter," which denotes a passive structure, or "encourage," which implies an external prompting, bield is the living confluence where a physical refuge actively generates fortitude. It is the dry lee of a granite outcrop in a driving rain, the steady hand on a shoulder before a daunting task, and the remembered warmth of a hearth when far from home—the quiet conviction that courage is often just borrowed architecture, a temporary edifice built from both stone and spirit.

noun

Boldness, courage; confidence; a feeling of security, assurance.
Resource, help, relief; a means of help or relief; support; sustenance.
Shelter, refuge or protection.“This breast, this bosom soft, shall be thy bield / 'Gainst storms of arrows, darts, and weapons thrown.”
A place of shelter, a refuge.

verb

To make bold, give courage or confidence to.
To defend, protect or shelter.