Where does “bald” come from?
bald (Old High German) comes from Proto-West Germanic balþ, from Proto-Germanic balþaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.
bald (Old High German): bold, quick
Definitions
- bold, quick
Ancestry of “bald”, step by step
bald traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Proto-West Germanic balþ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | balþ | bold, brave |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | balþaz | strong, bold |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |
via Proto-Germanic *balþ
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proto-Germanic | *balþ | — |