Etymology

Formed on bale (1), or continuing OE bealufull.

PGmc Ancestor

*balwan

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

bǫl ‘misfortune, woe, malice’
(ONP bǫl (sb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far bøl, Icel böl

OE Cognate

bealu, balu ‘woe, harm, destruction; malice; pain, suffering, torment’; bealufull

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

CCC5a

Attestation

Widespread in ME.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Cl 979; WA 4858

Bibliography

MED bāleful (adj.), OED baleful (adj.), Dance bale, de Vries bǫl, Mag. böl, Bammesberger 243, Orel *ƀalwan, Kroonen *balwa-, AEW bealu, DOE bealu (n.); bealufull (adj.)