Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bail” come from?

Bail comes from Latin baiulare, meaning to carry or bear, via the Latin noun baiulo, ultimately from Proto-Italic -os.

bail (English): Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for...

Definitions

  1. Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for...

Ancestry of “bail”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbeyle—
2Old Englishbiegels—
3Old Englishbīeġanto bend, turn, turn back, incline, depress,...
4Proto-Germanicbi-by, at
5Proto-Germanicbiby, at; near, around
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂m̥bʰiaround, on either side of, about; in exchange...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂n̥tbʰi—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto

Words derived from “bail”

  • bailee
  • bailout
  • bailment
  • bailor
  • bailer
  • baile
  • bailable
  • bailsman
  • nonbailable
  • unbailable
  • bailjumping
  • bailpiece
  • postbailout
  • antibailout
  • beila
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →