Bawl

/bɔːl/ verb

Definition

To cry loudly and heavily; to shout or yell.

Etymology

From Middle English 'baule,' possibly from Old Norse 'baula' (to bellow). Related to 'ball' in the sense of making noise. Originally meant to make loud animal sounds, then expanded to human crying and shouting.

Kelly Says

Interestingly, human babies cry for about 2 minutes total per day in the first weeks, but it feels endless to exhausted parents—and every baby's cry is slightly different because they're already learning to mimic their parent's language patterns.

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