Where does “bad” come from?
bad (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch bat, from Old Dutch bat, from Proto-Germanic batiz — comparative degree of *wela.
bad (Dutch): bath
Ancestry of “bad”, step by step
bad traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle Dutch bat
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | bat | bath; better; comparative degree of wel;... |
| 2 | Old Dutch | bat | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | batiz | comparative degree of *wela |
via Proto-Germanic baþą
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | baþą | bath |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₁- | to foment; warm; bathe |