Where does “bold” come from?

Bold comes from Middle English bolde, from Old English bolt, from Proto-Germanic bultaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, a root meaning to swell or blow.

bold (English): A dwelling; habitation; building; Courageous,...

Definitions

  1. A dwelling; habitation; building; Courageous,...

Ancestry of “bold”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbold
2Old EnglishbaldAlternative form of beald
3Proto-West Germanicbalþbold, brave
4Proto-Germanicbalþazstrong, bold
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-

Words derived from “bold

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-