*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of Bel

From Latin Bēlus, from Ancient Greek Βῆλος (Bêlos), ultimately from Akkadian 𒂗 (bēlum).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
name

A Babylonian deity, corresponding to the Semitic Baal. · An evil giant who ruled Babylon prior to his defeat by the Armenian culture hero Hayk.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Latin Bēlus, from Ancient Greek Βῆλος (Bêlos), ultimately from Akkadian 𒂗 (bēlum).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "Bēlus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin Bēlus"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "Βῆλος"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek Βῆλος (Bêlos)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "akk",
        "3": "bēlum",
        "4": "𒂗",
        "tr": "bēlum"
      },
      "expansion": "Akkadian 𒂗 (bēlum)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Bēlus",
      "Belus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "Βῆλος",
      "Βῆλος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "𒂗",
      "bēlum#Akkadian"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A Babylonian deity, corresponding to the Semitic Baal.",
        "An evil giant who ruled Babylon prior to his defeat by the Armenian culture hero Hayk."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Armenian"
      ],
      "recordId": "222b82a1837570668a3682b94cbbdd5b80d90b4a7d2a0434ac518a739948aba2",
      "rawRecordSha256": "5cd7471cdb44645c650fa88dd9f8f7fcc57c6da9d944e9991e4027e5dfc9b5f4",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1947352
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
name

A diminutive of the female given name Isabel. · A female given name, variant of Belle. · A male given name. · A male given name, variant of Bell.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

* Clipping of Isabel * A variant of Belle and Bell.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping of",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "Isabel"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of Isabel"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "Isabel",
      "Isabel#English"
    ],
    [
      "Belle",
      "Belle#English"
    ],
    [
      "Bell",
      "Bell#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "name",
      "glosses": [
        "A diminutive of the female given name Isabel.",
        "A female given name, variant of Belle.",
        "A male given name.",
        "A male given name, variant of Bell."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "5fb8380f71e6cc60dd1eb1744c28da233d296f7ae557b7b81cc83bc7b5757b88",
      "rawRecordSha256": "79f6e917839e677af7f8e33a5aad1045dea7173e0d4bcbcea823214c2fad8106",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 1947353
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Bel →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-QmVs