Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “boldfaced” come from?

boldfaced (English) comes from English boldface, from English bold, from Middle English bold, from Old English bald, from Proto-West Germanic balþ, from Proto-Germanic balþaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.

boldfaced (English): Impudent, brazen; Of text emphasized by being set...

Definitions

  1. Impudent, brazen; Of text emphasized by being set...

Ancestry of “boldfaced”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishboldfaceA font that is dark, having a high ratio of ink...
2EnglishboldA dwelling; habitation; building; Courageous,...
3Middle Englishbold—
4Old EnglishbaldAlternative form of beald
5Proto-West Germanicbalþbold, brave
6Proto-Germanicbalþazstrong, bold
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →