An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Balg

by Friedrich Kluge

Balg, m., ‘skin, case, bellows, brat,’ from the equiv. MidHG. balc (plur. bęlge), OHG. balg, plur. balgi, bęlgi, m.; Goth. balgs, plur. balgeis, ‘leather bottle,’ lit. ‘the flayed skin of an animal for keeping liquids.’ On the root balgi- is based AS. belg, bylg, E. belly (Balg, with the specialised meaning, ‘swollen body’), and E. bellows, plur. The primary idea of the root is ‘swelling out’; from the same root the OTeut. dialects form a str. vb. bëlgan (see Belster), meaning ‘to swell’; OIc. bólgenn, ‘swollen’; OHG. bĕlgan, MidHG. bëlgen, ‘to swell, be angry.’ The pre-Teut. form of the stem according to the laws of the permutation of consonants is bhelgh, and to this corresponds Ind. barh (with the initial aspirate displaced), ‘to be great, strong'; also OIr. bolgaim, ‘I swell,’ Ir. bolg, Gall.-Lat. bulga, ‘bag.’ It is also possible that HG. Balg is cognate with Lat. follis (from *folvis, *folgvis). Comp. further Bulge.