English word origin

Etymology of bail

From Middle English baille, from the Old French verb bailler (“to deliver or hand over”) and noun bail (“lease”), from Latin bāiulāre (“carry or bear”), from baiulus (“porter; steward”) (English: bailiff).

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 4 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 ↗

verb

To secure the release of an arrested person by providing bail. · To release a person under such guarantee. · To hand over personal property to be held temporarily by another as a bailment. · To remove (water) from a boat by scooping it out.

noun

Security, usually a sum of money, exchanged for the release of an arrested person as a guarantee of that person's appearance for trial. · Release from imprisonment on payment of such money. · The person providing such payment. · A bucket or scoop used for removing water from a boat etc.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionbailleenm
Derivation mentionbāiulōla · carry or bear

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.

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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "baille"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English baille"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "bāiulō",
        "4": "bāiulāre",
        "t": "carry or bear"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin bāiulāre (“carry or bear”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "baille",
      "baille#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "bailler",
      "bailler#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "bail",
      "bail#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "bāiulāre",
      "baiulo#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "baiulus",
      "baiulus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "porter",
      "porter"
    ],
    [
      "steward",
      "steward"
    ],
    [
      "bailiff",
      "bailiff#English"
    ]
  ],
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      "glosses": [
        "To secure the release of an arrested person by providing bail.",
        "To release a person under such guarantee.",
        "To hand over personal property to be held temporarily by another as a bailment.",
        "To remove (water) from a boat by scooping it out."
      ],
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        "Release from imprisonment on payment of such money.",
        "The person providing such payment.",
        "A bucket or scoop used for removing water from a boat etc."
      ],
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To leave or exit abruptly. · To fail to meet a commitment (to a person).

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

From a shortening of bail out, ultimately same as above.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "To leave or exit abruptly.",
        "To fail to meet a commitment (to a person)."
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A hoop, ring or handle (especially of a kettle or bucket). · A stall for a cow (or other animal) (usually tethered with a semi-circular hoop). · A hinged bar as a restraint for animals, or on a typewriter. · A frame to restrain a cow during milking or feeding.

verb

To secure the head of a cow during milking.

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

From Middle English beyle, from Old English bīeġels, from bīeġan + -els.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionbeyleenm
Inherited-form mentionbīeġelsang
Word-formation componentbīeġanang
Word-formation component-elsang

This page abbreviates 3 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": [
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        "1": "en",
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      },
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    },
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    }
  ],
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    ],
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      "biegels#Old_English"
    ],
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      "biegan#Old_English"
    ],
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      "-els",
      "-els#Old_English"
    ]
  ],
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  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A hoop, ring or handle (especially of a kettle or bucket).",
        "A stall for a cow (or other animal) (usually tethered with a semi-circular hoop).",
        "A hinged bar as a restraint for animals, or on a typewriter.",
        "A frame to restrain a cow during milking or feeding."
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        "To secure the head of a cow during milking."
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

verb

To confine. · To secure (a cow) by placing its head in a bail for milking. · To keep (a traveller) detained in order to rob them; to corner (a wild animal); loosely, to detain, hold up.

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

Borrowed from French baillier.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
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    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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        "3": "fr:baillier",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"French\", \"term\" : \"baillier\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"fr\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"bail\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"bail\">\nBorrowed from French baillier."
    },
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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 bail →

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-YmFpbA