bæl

From Proto-Germanic *bēlą, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-. Cognate with Old Norse bál (whence Icelandic bál (“a fire; a conflagration”), Danish bål (“fire, bonfire, pyre”), Norwegian bål and Swedish bål (“pyre, bonfire”)). Further Indo-European cognates include Sanskrit भाल (bhāla, “splendour”), Ancient Greek φαλός (phalós, “white”) and Old Armenian բալ (bal, “fog”).

• IPA^(key): /bæːl/

bǣl n (nominative plural bǣl)

1. funeral pyre, bonfire
2. fire, flame, blaze

Strong a-stem:

• Middle English: bale (possibly from Old Norse)
  • English: bale