A Scottish or archaic English spelling of 'bold,' meaning brave, daring, or showing courage without fear.
Middle English and Scots variant of 'bold,' from Old English beald (strong, bold), from Proto-Germanic *baldaz. The spelling 'bauld' was common in Scots literature from the 14th century onward.
This spelling shows how Scottish English developed its own character—similar to how American English kept 'gotten' while British English dropped it, regional dialects preserve historical pronunciations and spellings.
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