Guild
- Guild
A trade association where craftsmen of the same trade ban together and establish rules of conduct, quality, education and standards. They also maintain and control pricing of crafted items. A guild will often have a set schedule for apprentices to learn and master the denoted craft.
Term applied to trade associations whose chief aims were:
♦ To protect members from the competition of foreign merchants.
♦ To maintain commercial standards.
The first guilds were merchant guilds. Later, as industry became more specialised, craft guilds were formed. Guilds maintained a system of education whereby apprentices served a master for five to seven years before becoming a 'journeyman' at about age nineteen. Journeymen worked in the shop of a master until they could demonstrate to the leaders of the guild that they were ready for master status.
Guild members were forbidden from competing with each other, and merchants were required to sell at a "just price".
In many English towns and cities, the principal public building is still called the "Guildhall."
Professional, mercantile or craft association formed to maintain standards and support its members. Guilds formed the center of town life; the guilds grew in power and prestige, frequently forming monopolies in their area of expertise.
♦ A word used in the Middle Ages for associations of many purposes, but nearly always including mutual charity, general sociability (including drinking), and religious celebrations.
(Reynolds, Susan. An Introduction to the History of English Medieval Towns, 199)
Medieval glossary.
2014.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
guild — guild; guild·hall; guild·ite; guild·ry; guild·ship; … English syllables
Guild — Guild, n. [OE. gilds, AS. gild, gield, geld, tribute, a society or company where payment was made for its charge and support, fr. AS. gildan, gieldan, to pay. See {Yield}, v. t.] 1. An association of men belonging to the same class, or engaged in … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
guild — [gıld] n [Date: 1300 1400; : Old Norse; Origin: gildi payment, guild ] an organization of people who do the same job or have the same interests ▪ the Women s Guild … Dictionary of contemporary English
guild — early 13c., yilde (spelling later influenced by O.N. gildi guild, brotherhood ), a semantic fusion of O.E. gegyld guild and gild, gyld payment, tribute, compensation, from P.Gmc. *gelth pay (Cf. O.Fris. geld money, O.S. geld payment, sacrifice,… … Etymology dictionary
guild — [gild] n. [ME gild, blend of ON gildi, guild, guild feast & OE gyld, association (of paying members), akin to OHG gelt, OFris ield, all < base seen in OE gieldan, to pay: see YIELD] 1. in medieval times, a union of men in the same craft or… … English World dictionary
guild — index association (alliance), company (enterprise), confederacy (compact), cooperative, institute … Law dictionary
Guild — Guild, Theatre … Enciclopedia Universal
guild — [ gıld ] noun count an organization of people who all have the same job, goals, or interests … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
guild — see gild … Modern English usage
guild — [n] association, fellowship club, company, corporation, federation, group, interest group, league, lodge, order, organization, profession, society, sodality, trade, union; concepts 381,387 … New thesaurus
guild — ► NOUN 1) a medieval association of craftsmen or merchants. 2) an association of people for a common purpose. ORIGIN Old English, related to YIELD(Cf. ↑yielder) … English terms dictionary
