soon (near in time) · almost (of a changing value that is predicted to reach said number soon) · indicates a rapid alternation of states; now ..., now ...; sometimes ..., sometimes ...
köken: From Middle High German balde, from Old High German baldo, adverb of bald, pald, from Proto-West Germanic *balþ, from Proto-Germanic *balþaz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-. Cognate with Dutch boud, English bold.
aile: alsbald, baldig, baldmöglichst, bis bald, in Bälde, sobald
Bald ist der Urlaub vorbei.
Mit bald 80 Jahren ist mein Vater noch auf Apfelbäume geklettert.
köken: From nie- + the instrumental of *baw, which is in turn a deverbal of bawić, with a shift of not having fun -> not lollygagging, modelled on words such as chyłkiem, ukradkiem. First attested in the 18th century.