Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bæːl/