Etymology

belch

B3E1L1C3H4

Today it means: To expel (gas) from the stomach through the mouth; especially, to do so loudly. Full definition →

Middle English belchen ← Old English bielċan ← Proto-Germanic *balkijaną
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belch · verb, noun1

  1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*balkijaną
  2. Old English · inherited frombielċan
  3. Middle English · inherited frombelchen
  4. English todaybelch

From Middle English belchen, from Old English bielċan, from Proto-Germanic *balkijaną, *belkaną, probably ultimately of imitative origin. Related to Dutch balken (“to bray”), Middle Low German belken (“to shout”), Low German bölken (“to shout, bark”), Old English bealċettan (“to utter, send forth”). See also English bolk, boak.

Belch · proper noun2

Variant of Balch.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.