English
beal
Beal comes from Middle English bel ‘of fine quality: good, nice, appealing’, from Latin bellus ‘beautiful, pretty, handsome’, and ultimately from Old Latin *duenelos.
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCE*duenelosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbellus‘beautiful, pretty, handsome’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400bel‘good, as in, my good sir, my good lady’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same formas bele‘of fine quality: good, nice, appealing’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500belen
- Englishtodaybeal
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Latinc. 700–75 BCE*duenelosreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbellus‘beautiful, pretty, handsome’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400bel‘good, as in, my good sir, my good lady’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same formas bele‘of fine quality: good, nice, appealing’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500belen
- Englishtodaybeal
Linked words
through Old Latin *duenelos
rebel, revel, bellicose, beauteous, beaucoup, 17 more
through Latin bellus ‘beautiful, pretty, handsome’
Another origin of beal
- Old Norsec. 800–1350belja‘to bellow, roar’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500belien
- Englishtodaybeal
Today it means
verb To gather matter; swell; come to a head, as a pimple; fester; suppurate.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old Latin *duenelos / beal