Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bawd” come from?

bawd (English) comes from Middle English bawde, from Old French baud, from Frankish balþ, from Proto-Germanic balþaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.

bawd (English): A person who keeps a house of prostitution, or...

Definitions

  1. A person who keeps a house of prostitution, or...

Ancestry of “bawd”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbawde—
2Old Frenchbaudbold; brave; cheerful; full of ardour
3Frankishbalþbold, brave
4Proto-Germanicbalþazstrong, bold
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “bawd”

  • bawdy
  • bawdiness
  • bawdily
  • cock-bawd
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →