An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Feld
Feld, n., ‘field, space, square (chessboard), panel,’ from MidHG. vëlt (gen. -des), OHG. fëld, n., ‘field, soil, surface, plain’; a word common to West Teut. pointing to Goth. *filþ, n.; OSax. and AS. fëld (lþ in both dialects are regularly changed into ld), E. field, Du. veld. It is still questionable whether OIc. fjall, ‘mountain,’ is identical with it, since the former is more probably connected with ModHG. Fels. On the other hand, the following are certainly allied: — OIc. fold, f., ‘pasture,’ AS. folde, f., OSax. folda, ‘earth, country, ground’ (pointing to Goth *fuldô). Finn. pelto is derived from Teut. felþos, which, with OIc. folda, is based upon the Aryan root plth (Sans. pṛth), ‘to be broad, flat’; comp. Sans. pṛthivî, ‘earth,’ as well Fladen.