bale

bale · noun¹

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*balwą
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*balu
3. Old English · inherited frombealu
4. Middle English · inherited frombale“evil”
5. English todaybale

From Middle English bale (“evil”), from Old English bealu, from Proto-West Germanic *balu, from Proto-Germanic *balwą. Cognate with Low German bal- (“bad, ill”), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (balweins, “torture”), Old High German balo (“destruction”), Old Norse bǫl (“disaster”).

bale · noun²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰel-“to shine; gleam; sparkle”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*bēlą“pyre”
3. Old English · inherited frombǣl“pyre, funeral pyre”
4. Middle English · inherited frombale“pyre, funeral pyre”
5. English todaybale

From Middle English bale (“pyre, funeral pyre”), from Old English bǣl (“pyre, funeral pyre”), from Proto-Germanic *bēlą (“pyre”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to shine; gleam; sparkle”). Cognate with Old Norse bál (which may have been the direct source for the English word).

bale · noun, verb³

1. Medieval Latin · derived frombala
2. Old French · derived frombale
3. Middle English · inherited frombale“bale”
4. English todaybale

From Middle English bale (“bale”), from Old French bale and Medieval Latin bala, of Germanic origin. Doublet of ball.

bale · verb⁴

Alternative spelling of bail.

bale · noun⁵

Alternative spelling of balei.

Words from the same roots