Namaste. When Hindus use the word 'Bala', what does it mean?

Hi! "Bala", when pronounced with a long aaaa sound after the L (baalaaa) means a female child. However, when pronounced with a short 'a' sound after the L, it refers to a male child. Names like Balakrishna are actually a combination of two words (called 'sandhi' meaning 'joining') - Bala (child) Krishna (name of God's incarnation).