The word baptize comes from the Greek word baptizo, which means to wash or to immerse. As you can see, the word baptism is not a translation, but rather a transliteration of the Greek word. In other words, translators did not translate the Greek word, but rather created a new English word.
Yochanan (John) and the Apostles, however, did not use a new religious term to describe what they were doing. They used the Aramaic or Greek words which already existed. Words that meant to wash or to immerse. We should do the same. Instead of using a heavily spiritualized term such as baptism, we should simply say "a washing", or "an immersion". (So John the Baptist would now be more accurately translated, Yochanan the Immerser)