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35,981 English word records · 45,491 etymology sections in this online subset
PARTIAL ENGLISH COVERAGE · FULL CORPUS REMAINS LOCAL5 source sections across 1 headword matching “Bale”. These are separate from the reviewed results below.
baleEnglish (en) · Etymology 1Source text
From Middle English bale (“evil”), from Old English bealu, from Proto-West Germanic *balu, from Proto-Germanic *balwą. Cognate with Low German bal- (“bad, ill”), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌻𐍅𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (balweins, “torture”), Old High German balo (“destruction”), Old Norse bǫl (“disaster”).
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗baleEnglish (en) · Etymology 2Source text
From Middle English bale (“pyre, funeral pyre”), from Old English bǣl (“pyre, funeral pyre”), from Proto-Germanic *bēlą (“pyre”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to shine; gleam; sparkle”). Cognate with Old Norse bál (which may have been the direct source for the English word).
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗baleEnglish (en) · Etymology 3Source text
From Middle English bale (“bale”), from Old French bale and Medieval Latin bala, of Germanic origin. Doublet of ball.
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗baleEnglish (en) · Etymology 4Source text
Alternative spelling of bail.
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗baleEnglish (en) · Etymology 5Source text
Alternative spelling of balei.
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗INDEPENDENT SOURCE LIBRARY
More sources for this spelling
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Chambers (1908)
1908- BaleEnglish · e-37683-2134
Bale, bāl, n. a bundle, or package of goods: (obs.) the set of dice for any special game.—v.t. to make into bales. [M. E. bale, perh. from O. Fr. bale—Old High Ger. balla, palla, ball. See Ball.]
Read the full source record → - BaleEnglish · e-37683-2135
Bale, bāl, v.t. to throw out water [See Bail.]
Read the full source record → - BaleEnglish · e-37683-2136
Bale, bāl, n. evil, injury, mischief: misery: woe.—adj. Bale′ful, full of misery, destructive: full of sorrow, sad.—adv. Bale′fully.—n. Bale′fulness.—Bliss and bale are often alliteratively opposed; also Boot and bale. [
Read the full source record → - BaleEnglish · e-37683-2137
Bale, bāl, n. (arch.—Morris) a fire, funeral pyre: (Scot.) a beacon-fire.—n. Bale′-fire, a blazing fire: a beacon-fire: a bonfire. Spenser confounds with Bale, woe. [A.S. bæl; Scand. bál; cog. with Gr. phalos, bright. Se
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