An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/bald
bald, adverb, ‘soon, nearly, quickly,’ based upon an Old Teutonic adjective which signified ‘quick, bold, brave’; Gothic balþs, ‘bold,’ preserved only in derivatives, Anglo-Saxon beald (with the change of þ after l to d, compare Wald, falten), English bold, Old Icelandic ballr, ‘bold, impudent, audacious’; also Old Icelandic baldr, Anglo-Saxon bealdor, ‘prince,’ whence the name of the god Balder. In High German the meaning tended towards ‘bold, quick’; Old High German and Old Low German bald, Middle High German balt (genitive baldes). ‘bold, zealous, quick’; compare Italian baldo, ‘bold.’ The development of meaning of the Old High German adverb baldo, Middle High German balde, is thus ‘boldly, — quickly, — immediately.’ The abstract Bälde, which is connected with it, meant literally ‘boldness,’ like Gothic balþei and Old High German baldî; Middle High German belde, ‘audacity’; the meaning of the Modern High German substantive is based immediately on the adverb. To this word are allied proper names like Balduin, as well as French Baudouin (applied to the ass).