guelder

Guelder is an archaic or variant English spelling historically used to refer to Gelder or Guelders, particularly in historical or cartographic contexts. The term most often denotes the region that is now the Dutch province of Gelderland, and, in medieval times, the Duchy of Guelders, a political entity in the Low Countries that encompassed parts of what is today eastern Netherlands.

Etymology and name forms originate in Old and Middle Dutch. The region was commonly known in Dutch as Gelre or Gelders, with English texts adapting this as Guelders or Guelder. Over time, the modern Dutch name Gelderland became standard, while the English exonym Guelder largely fell out of everyday use outside historical writing.

Historical context: The Duchy of Guelders emerged in the medieval period as a significant neighbor to the domains of Burgundy and later the Habsburgs. Its territories fluctuated through dynastic conflicts and treaties, and by the 16th century much of its land was absorbed into the Habsburg Netherlands. The legacy of Guelders persists in the historic association with the Gelderland region, even as the modern province retained its own administrative identity after the consolidation of the Dutch state.

Modern usage: In contemporary usage, Guelder is rarely employed as a current name. Gelderland is the official modern designation for the Dutch province. The historical form Guelder appears primarily in historical texts, older maps, and genealogical or academic discussions of the region’s medieval and early modern history.

Note: Guelder should not be confused with guelder-rose, the common name of the plant Viburnum opulus, a separate term with distinct meaning.