Middle English word bele comes from Proto-Indo-European *bʰōw-, Proto-Indo-European *bʰew-, and later Proto-Germanic *būlō (Boil; sore.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *bʰōw- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *bʰew- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *būlō | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Boil; sore. |
| *būlǭ | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Swelling; bump; boil. |
| *būlijǭ | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| bȳl | Old English (ang) | |
| beel | Middle English (enm) |