Etymology

From ess- ‎(“out of”) +‎ Class B third-person singular neuter infixed pronoun d- ‎(“it”) +‎ Proto-Celtic *balni-, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelh₁- ‎(“throw”). The preterite forms in at·bath- and the verbal noun apthu are from ess- +‎ d- +‎ original preterite passive form of baïd ‎(“to die”), from Proto-Celtic *bā-, *bayo-, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷeh₂- ‎(“tread”) (via a euphemistic meaning similar to pass away).

Compare Middle Welsh aballu ‎(“die, perish”) (from *ad-balni-), Ancient Greek βάλλω ‎(bállō, “throw”), Old English cwelan ‎(“die”), Old Armenian կեղեմ ‎(kełem, “torment, torture”), Lithuanian gėlà ‎(“pain”)), compare Old Armenian կամ ‎(kam, “to stand”), Latvian gāja ‎(“went”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /adˈval͈ʲ/