Etymology

bold

B3O1L1D2

Today it means: Courageous; daring. Full definition →

Middle English bold ← Old English bald ← Proto-West Germanic *balþ
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bold · adjective1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰel-
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*balþaz“strong, bold”
  3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*balþ
  4. Old English · inherited frombald
  5. Middle English · inherited frombold
  6. English todaybold

From Middle English bold, bolde, bald, beald, from Old English bald, beald (“bold, brave, confident, strong, of good courage, presumptuous, impudent”), from Proto-West Germanic *balþ, from Proto-Germanic *balþaz (“strong, bold”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-, *bʰlē- (“to bloat, swell, bubble”). Cognate with Dutch boud (“bold, courageous, fearless”), Middle High German balt (“bold”) (whence German bald (“soon”)), Swedish båld (“bold, dauntless”). Perhaps related to Albanian ballë (“forehead”) and Old Prussian balo (“forehead”). Compare typologically Italian affrontare (“to face, to deal with”), sfrontato (“bold, daring, insolent”), both from Latin frons (“forehead”).

bold · verb2

  1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*balþōną
  2. Old English · inherited frombaldian
  3. Middle English · inherited frombolden
  4. English todaybold

From Middle English bolden, balden, from Old English baldian, bealdian, from Proto-Germanic *balþōną, related to *balþaz (see above). Cognate with Old High German irbaldōn (“to become bold, dare”).

bold · noun3

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰew-“to grow, wax, swell”
  2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*budlą
  3. Old English · derived frombold
  4. Middle English · derived frombold
  5. English todaybold

From Middle English bold, from Old English bold, blod, bolt, botl (“house, dwelling-place, mansion, hall, castle, temple”), from Proto-Germanic *budlą, *buþlą (“house, dwelling”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew- (“to grow, wax, swell”) or *bʰuH-. Cognate with Old Frisian bold (“house”) (whence North Frisian bol, boel, bøl (“house”)), North Frisian bodel, budel (“property, inheritance”), Middle Low German būdel (“property, real estate”). Related to build.

Bold · proper noun4

* As an English surname, from the adjective bold (“daring courageous”) or the noun bold (“dwelling, house”). * As a Swedish and German surname, related to the adjective above, such as in Baldwin and Reinbold.

Words from the same roots

Proto-Indo-European*bʰel- all →

bloodflamespellballoonflavorblazeblazerblushbleachbalebellowblemishblainblitheaflameCymbelineeffulgentBelenusbieldblikefilicologythrapple

Proto-Indo-European*bʰew- all →

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Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.