baile

See also: bailé

English

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Brazilian Portuguese baile (“dance”). Compare ball (“dance”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaɪli/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

baile (uncountable)

1. (usually "baile funk") A specific genre of dance music originating in Rio de Janeiro, also known as Funk Carioca
   • 2006 August 25, Jessica Hopper, “Stick This in Your iTunes”, in Chicago Reader‎^[2]:

     The irreverent banger "Hey You" repos Balkan brass and sets it to pure Chicago juke step, which bleeds into a colossal baile beat and, for good measure, some trashy Eurotrance.

   • 2007 March 30, “Pop and Rock Listings”, in New York Times‎^[3], archived from the original on 3 September 2025:

     He has been borrowing from Brazilian baile funk for years, and the first release on his new record label, Mad Descent, is by the Brazilian group Bonde do Role.

See also

• Baile funk on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Etymology 2

See bail.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbeɪl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Noun

baile (plural bailes)

1. Archaic spelling of bail.

Anagrams

• Albie

Aragonese

Etymology 1

Noun

baile m (plural bailes)

1. judge

Etymology 2

Noun

baile m (plural bailes)

1. dance

Asturian

Verb

baile

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of bailar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of bailar

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish baile (“dance”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbajle/ [ˈbaj.le]
• Rhymes: -le
• Hyphenation: bai‧le

Noun

báile

1. dance

Galician

Baile galego

Baile ("ball"), A Coruña, 1907

Etymology 1

Back-formation from bailar.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbajlɪ]

Noun

baile m (plural bailes)

1. dance
2. ball (a formal dance)

Verb

baile

1. inflection of bailar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Old French bailif

Old Galician-Portuguese baile

Galician baile

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese baile, from Old French bailif (“bailiff”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbajlɪ]

Noun

baile m (plural bailes)

1. (archaic) bailiff

References

• Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “baile”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “baile”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Santamarina, editor (2006–2013), “baile”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Santamarina, Ernesto X. González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “baile”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “baile”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Irish

Pronunciation

• (Munster) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠalʲə/
• (Connacht) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠalʲə/, (Cois Fharraige) [ˈbˠaːlʲə]; /ˈbˠælʲə/
• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /ˈbˠælʲə/ ~ /ˈbˠɛlʲə/ ~ /ˈbˠelʲə/

Etymology 1

From Old Irish baile (“homestead, town”).

Noun

baile m (genitive singular baile, nominative plural bailte)

1. home.
2. a settlement.
3. a town or a village.

   Phós sí fear as baile isteach.

   She married a man from out of town.

Declension

Declension of baile (fourth declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative baile bailte vocative a bhaile a bhailte genitive baile bailte dative baile bailte forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an baile na bailte genitive an bhaile na mbailte dative leis an mbaile don bhaile leis na bailte

• Alternative plural: bailteacha (Cois Fharraige), bailtí, bailtíocha

Derived terms

• abhaile
• an Baile Meánach
• ardbhaile
• as baile
• Baile Átha Cliath
• Baile Átha Luain
• baile bardais
• baile beag
• Baile Brigín
• baile contae
• baile margaidh
• baile mór
• bailedhreach
• braighdeanas baile (“house arrest”)
• bruachbhaile
• cat baile (“housecat”)
• ceannbhaile
• daonbhaile
• fo-bhaile
• fronta baile (“home front”)
• gráigbhaile
• leathanach baile
• príomhbhaile
• sa bhaile
• sa mbaile (Galway form)
• sráidbhaile

Further reading

• A. Palandri, Ú. Bhreathnach, M. Měchura, G. Ó Cleircín, and B. Ó Raghallaigh, (2026), “baile”, in Taisce Chanúintí na Gaeilge - Repository of Irish Dialects‎^[4] (in Irish and English), Dublin City University
• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927), “baile”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla [Irish and English Dictionary], 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 70; reprinted with additions 1996, →ISBN
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “baile”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• de Bhaldraithe, Tomás (1959), “baile”, in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm
• “baile”, in New English-Irish Dictionary, Foras na Gaeilge, 2013–2026

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

baile f sg

1. genitive singular of bail

Mutation

Mutated forms of baile

radical	lenition	eclipsis
baile	bhaile	mbaile

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Latvian

Noun

baile f

1. (archaic) nominative singular of bailes

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈba.lʲe/

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-Celtic *baliyos, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- (“to appear, grow”), see also Proto-Germanic *bōþlą (“dwelling, abode, lair”).

Noun

baile m (genitive baili, nominative plural baili)

1. place, homestead, town, city

Inflection

Masculine io-stem

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	baile	baileL	bailiL
vocative	baili	baileL	bailiu
accusative	baileN	baileL	bailiuH
genitive	bailiL	baileL	baileN
dative	bailiuL	bailib	bailib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

• ^H = triggers aspiration
• ^L = triggers lenition
• ^N = triggers nasalization

Derived terms

• bailech

Descendants

• Irish: baile
• Manx: balley
• Scottish Gaelic: baile

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

baile m or f

1. vision
2. supernaturally induced frenzy or madness

Inflection

As masculine:

Masculine io-stem

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	baile	baileL	bailiL
vocative	baili	baileL	bailiu
accusative	baileN	baileL	bailiuH
genitive	bailiL	baileL	baileN
dative	bailiuL	bailib	bailib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

• ^H = triggers aspiration
• ^L = triggers lenition
• ^N = triggers nasalization

As feminine:

Feminine iā-stem

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	baileL	bailiL	baili
vocative	baileL	bailiL	baili
accusative	bailiN	bailiL	baili
genitive	baile	baileL	baileN
dative	bailiL	bailib	bailib

Initial mutations of a following adjective:

• ^H = triggers aspiration
• ^L = triggers lenition
• ^N = triggers nasalization

Descendants

• Irish: buile
• Manx: builley
• Scottish Gaelic: boile

Mutation

Mutation of baile

radical	lenition	nasalization
baile	baile pronounced with /β-/	mbaile

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 baile”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 baile”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbaj.li/ [ˈbaɪ̯.li]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbaj.lɨ/

• Audio (Portugal (Porto)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ajli, -ajlɨ
• Hyphenation: bai‧le

Etymology 1

baile

Inherited from Late Latin ballō, from Ancient Greek βαλλίζω (ballízō, “throw”).

Noun

baile m (plural bailes)

1. ball (a formal dance)
2. (Brazil) any dancing event (not necessarily formal)

   Synonyms: bailarico, baileco, balada, festa

3. (Portugal, colloquial) subjugation

Derived terms

• bailão
• dar um baile
• levar um baile

Related terms

• bailada
• bailadeira
• bailado
• bailador
• bailar
• bailarino
• balé

Descendants

• → English: baile

Etymology 2

Verb

baile

1. inflection of bailar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “baile”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026
• “baile”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

Inherited from Old Irish baile.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈb̥alə/
• (Barra) IPA^(key): /ˈb̥ælʌ/
• (South Argyll) IPA^(key): /ˈb̥ɑʎə/, [ˈb̥aˀl̠ʲɪ]

Noun

baile m (genitive singular baile, nominative plural bailtean)

1. village, town, city
2. farm

Derived terms

• baile beag (“town, village”)
• baile mòr (“town, city”)
• dealbhadh-bhailtean (“town planning”)
• prìomh-bhaile (“capital city”)

Mutation

Mutation of baile

radical	lenition
baile	bhaile

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Scottish Gaelic.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Edward Dwelly (1911), “baile”, in Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan [The Illustrated Gaelic–English Dictionary], 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, →ISBN

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbaile/ [ˈbai̯.le]

• Audio (Colombia):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aile
• Syllabification: bai‧le

Etymology 1

Deverbal from bailar.

Noun

baile m (plural bailes)

1. dance (a sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music)

   Synonym: danza

2. dance (a social gathering where dancing is the main activity)
3. ball (a formal dance)
4. dance (the art, profession, and study of dancing)

Derived terms

• baile de candil
• baile de cuenta
• baile de disfraces
• baile de fin de curso
• baile de graduación
• baile de máscaras
• baile de piñata
• baile de salón
• baile de San Vito
• baile de trajes
• baile del caño
• baile del tubo
• baile en barra
• baile en el caño
• baile en tubo
• cuerpo de baile
• pista de baile
• salón de baile

Descendants

• → Cebuano: bayle
• → Central Bikol: bayle
• → Tagalog: bayle

Etymology 2

Verb

baile

1. inflection of bailar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “baile”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025