Where does “balk” come from?
Balk comes from Dutch balken, from Old English balca, from Old Swedish nattbakka, from Proto-Indo-European bhelg-.
balk (English): An uncultivated ridge formed in the open field...
Definitions
- An uncultivated ridge formed in the open field...
Ancestry of “balk”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | balke | balk, ridge, beam; Alternative form of bakke |
| 2 | Old English | balca | balk, beam; bank, ridge; a covering |
| 3 | Old Norse | balkr | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | balkô | beam, balk |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰelǵ- | to balk, beam |
Words derived from “balk”