Obs. Also 2–3 bolde, 4 boolde. [OE. bold, dwelling, is, according to Sievers, prob. for *bodl, *boðl, *boþl, which also appears as botl, identical with OSax. bodl-, ON. ból (:—boðl):—OTeut. *boþlo-, from bu-, bo-, ‘dwell’ + instrumental suffix -tlo = -tro (Gr. -τλο-, -τρο-). Parallel examples are OE. seld = setl, north. seþel ‘seat, settle,’ also nǽld = nǽdl, *nǽþl ‘needle,’ áld = ádl, *áþl ‘disease.’ It appears that original þ before l and m became in certain circumstances (after short vowel) t: cf. botm for boþm, OHG. bodam. The ON. ból from boðl has many parallels: mál:—maðl; stál:—staðl, etc. See BOTTLE sb.1] A dwelling, habitation, building.
a. 1000. Beowulf, 1998. Wæs þæt beorhte bold tobrocen.
c. 1250. Hymns Virg., in Trin. Coll. Hom., 257. Bring us to þine bolde.
c. 1270. Earth, in E. E. P., 152. Er erþe go to erþe bild þi long bold.
1297. R. Glouc., 383. Þe fayre halle, & oþer bold, þat hys fader let rere.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. VI. 169. He made hem bulde meny booldes.
