Etymology: < bald adj.

Etymology: of uncertain origin; in sense 1, apparently a participial form < ball v.², ball n.², with the sense of ‘protuberant or rounded like a ball,’ whence possibly ‘smooth,’ and, as applied to the head, ‘hairless.’ But the analogy of many words for ‘bald’ in various languages, in which the sense arises out of that of ‘shining, white,’ or especially that of ‘having a white patch on the forehead,’ as in ‘bald-faced stag,’ ‘bald-coot,’ with the actual appearance of this sense in ball n.², strongly favours the idea that Middle English ball-ed was a derivative of the latter (compare also ballard n.), which is with evident propriety referred to Welsh bàl , as explained under sense 5. The chief difficulty is the rarity of the simple ball, and lack of early instances to prove its English use before the appearance of ball-ed. For the termination, Sievers compares Old English -ede (Old Saxon -odi) used especially of bodily defects, as in heal-ede ruptured, hofer-ede hunchbacked, etc. Compare the analogy of Middle Dutch blaer ‘bald’ and blare , Dutch blaar ‘white patch on the forehead’ of a horse, etc.; also of Middle High German blas ‘bald,’ earlier ‘shining,’ and blasse ‘white patch on the forehead’; also of Dutch bles ‘bald’ and blesse ; and see blas in Grimm; also Wedgwood and Skeat. Compare also Greek ϕαλακρός ‘bald,’ lit. ‘white- or shining-pated.’ There seems little ground for the suggestion of Kluge that balled represents a lost Old English *bællod = *bærlod , Gothic *bazloþs , < Germanic baz-oz bare adj., adv., and n.

Etymology: < bald adj.