*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of bath

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁- Proto-Germanic *baþą Proto-West Germanic *baþ Old English bæþ Middle English bath English bath From Middle English bath, baþ, from Old English bæþ (“bath”), from Proto-West Germ

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 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 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗
verb

To wash a person or animal in a bath. · To bathe (oneself); to have a bath.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁- Proto-Germanic *baþą Proto-West Germanic *baþ Old English bæþ Middle English bath English bath From Middle English bath, baþ, from Old English bæþ (“bath”), from Proto-West Germanic *baþ, from Proto-Germanic *baþą (“bath”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁- (“to warm”). Corresponding inherited verbs are beath and bathe. Cognate with Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, and Swedish bad (“bath”), Faroese and Icelandic bað (“bath”), German Bad (“bath”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionbathenm
  • Inherited-form mentionbæþang
  • Inherited-form mention*baþgmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*baþągem-pro · bath
  • Derivation mention*bʰeh₁-ine-pro · to warm
  • Cognate mentionbadsv
  • Cognate mentionbaðis
  • Cognate mentionBadde
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:bath<id:tub>",
        "id": "tub",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁-\nProto-Germanic *baþą\nProto-West Germanic *baþ\nOld English bæþ\nMiddle English bath\nEnglish bath\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*baþą\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*baþ\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"bæþ\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"bath\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"bath\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"tub\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"bath\" id=\"English:_tub\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "senseno",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tub"
      },
      "expansion": "etymology 1, noun sense 1"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "bath"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English bath"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "bæþ",
        "4": "",
        "5": "bath"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English bæþ (“bath”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*baþ"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *baþ"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*baþą",
        "t": "bath"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *baþą (“bath”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰeh₁-",
        "t": "to warm"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁- (“to warm”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "no",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "bad",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bath"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish bad (“bath”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fo",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Faroese"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "bað",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bath"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic bað (“bath”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Bad",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bath"
      },
      "expansion": "German Bad (“bath”)"
    },
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      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:bath<id:tub>",
        "id": "tub",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁-\nProto-Germanic *baþą\nProto-West Germanic *baþ\nOld English bæþ\nMiddle English bath\nEnglish bath"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*bʰeh₁-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰeh₁-#Proto-Indo-European:_to_warm"
    ],
    [
      "*baþą",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/baþą#Proto-Germanic:_tub"
    ],
    [
      "*baþ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/baþ#Proto-West_Germanic:_tub"
    ],
    [
      "bæþ",
      "bæþ#Old_English:_tub"
    ],
    [
      "bath",
      "bath#Middle_English:_tub"
    ],
    [
      "bath",
      "bath#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "baþ",
      "baþ#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "bæþ",
      "bæþ#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*baþ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/baþ"
    ],
    [
      "*baþą",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/baþą"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰeh₁-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰeh₁-"
    ],
    [
      "beath",
      "beath#English"
    ],
    [
      "bathe",
      "bathe#English"
    ],
    [
      "bad",
      "bad#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "bað",
      "bað#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "Bad",
      "Bad#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To wash a person or animal in a bath.",
        "To bathe (oneself); to have a bath."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Commonwealth",
        "transitive",
        "informal",
        "intransitive"
      ],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗
noun

A tub or pool which is used for bathing: bathtub. · A building or area where bathing occurs. · Clipping of bathroom. · The act of bathing; an instance of this; the taking of a bath.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁- Proto-Germanic *baþą Proto-West Germanic *baþ Old English bæþ Middle English bath English bath From Middle English bath, baþ, from Old English bæþ (“bath”), from Proto-West Germanic *baþ, from Proto-Germanic *baþą (“bath”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁- (“to warm”). Corresponding inherited verbs are beath and bathe. Cognate with Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, and Swedish bad (“bath”), Faroese and Icelandic bað (“bath”), German Bad (“bath”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentionbathenm
  • Inherited-form mentionbæþang
  • Inherited-form mention*baþgmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*baþągem-pro · bath
  • Derivation mention*bʰeh₁-ine-pro · to warm
  • Cognate mentionbadsv
  • Cognate mentionbaðis
  • Cognate mentionBadde

This page abbreviates 4 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:bath<id:tub>",
        "id": "tub",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁-\nProto-Germanic *baþą\nProto-West Germanic *baþ\nOld English bæþ\nMiddle English bath\nEnglish bath\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*baþą\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*baþ\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"bæþ\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"bath\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"bath\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"tub\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"bath\" id=\"English:_tub\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "senseno",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tub"
      },
      "expansion": "etymology 1, noun sense 1"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "bath"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English bath"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "bæþ",
        "4": "",
        "5": "bath"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English bæþ (“bath”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*baþ"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *baþ"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*baþą",
        "t": "bath"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *baþą (“bath”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰeh₁-",
        "t": "to warm"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁- (“to warm”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "no",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "bad",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bath"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish bad (“bath”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fo",
        "2": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Faroese"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "bað",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bath"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic bað (“bath”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Bad",
        "3": "",
        "4": "bath"
      },
      "expansion": "German Bad (“bath”)"
    },
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      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:bath<id:tub>",
        "id": "tub",
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      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰeh₁-\nProto-Germanic *baþą\nProto-West Germanic *baþ\nOld English bæþ\nMiddle English bath\nEnglish bath"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "*bʰeh₁-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰeh₁-#Proto-Indo-European:_to_warm"
    ],
    [
      "*baþą",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/baþą#Proto-Germanic:_tub"
    ],
    [
      "*baþ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/baþ#Proto-West_Germanic:_tub"
    ],
    [
      "bæþ",
      "bæþ#Old_English:_tub"
    ],
    [
      "bath",
      "bath#Middle_English:_tub"
    ],
    [
      "bath",
      "bath#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "baþ",
      "baþ#Middle_English"
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    ],
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/baþ"
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/baþą"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰeh₁-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰeh₁-"
    ],
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      "beath",
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    ],
    [
      "bathe",
      "bathe#English"
    ],
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      "bad",
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    ],
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      "bað",
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    ],
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    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Lingala",
      "lang_code": "ln",
      "word": "báfu",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    },
    {
      "lang": "Welsh",
      "lang_code": "cy",
      "word": "bàth",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
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        "A tub or pool which is used for bathing: bathtub.",
        "A building or area where bathing occurs.",
        "Clipping of bathroom.",
        "The act of bathing; an instance of this; the taking of a bath."
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A former Hebrew unit of liquid volume (about 23 L or 6 gallons).

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

From Hebrew בַּת (baṯ).

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.

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  "templates": [
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        "2": "he",
        "3": "בַּת",
        "tr": "baṯ"
      },
      "expansion": "Hebrew בַּת (baṯ)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "בַּת",
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    ]
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    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A former Hebrew unit of liquid volume (about 23 L or 6 gallons)."
      ],
      "tags": [
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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 bath →

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-YmF0aA