Where does “bald” come from?

bald (Old Saxon) comes from Proto-West Germanic balþ, from Proto-Germanic balþaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.

bald (Old Saxon): bold, fearless

Definitions

  1. bold, fearless

Ancestry of “bald”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicbalþbold, brave
2Proto-Germanicbalþazstrong, bold
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰel- →Every word from Proto-Germanic balþaz →