An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Bad

by Friedrich Kluge

Bad, neuter, ‘bath,’ from the equivalent Middle High German bat(d), Old High German bad, neuter; compare Dutch bad, Anglo-Saxon bœþ, English bath, Old Icelandic bað, ‘bath.’ An important word in relation to the history of Old Teutonic civilisation; even the Roman writers testify that bathing (compare further laben) was a daily necessity to the Teutons. As a verb, a denominative was already formed in the Old Teutonic dialects, Middle High German and Modern High German baden, from Old High German badôn, Dutch baden, Anglo-Saxon baþian, English to bathe; Gothic *baþôn is not recorded. The dental of the cognates is derivative, hence ba (Aryan bhâ) is the root syllable, (compare bähen, in that case allied to it), to which Old Slovenian banja, ‘bath,’ banjati, ‘to wash, bathe,’ belongs. —