Etymology Explorer › Afrikaans

Where does “bofbal” come from?

bofbal (Afrikaans) comes from Afrikaans bal, from Dutch bal, from Middle Dutch bal, from Old Dutch bal, from Frankish ball, from Northern Sami bállu, from Northern Sami ballát, from Proto-Samic pëlājëtēk — to fear.

bofbal (Afrikaans): baseball; baseball; a ball used to play baseball...

Definitions

  1. baseball; baseball; a ball used to play baseball...

Ancestry of “bofbal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1AfrikaansbalA ball
2Dutchbala ball or any object with such a shape; testicle,...
3Middle Dutchbalball , sphere; something worthless
4Old Dutchbal—
5Frankishball—
6Northern Samibállutesticle, ball
7Northern Samiballátto become scared
8Proto-Samicpëlājëtēkto become scared
9Proto-Samicpëlëtēkto fear
10Proto-Uralicpele-to fear

Words derived from “bofbal”

  • bofballiga
  • bofbalspeler
  • bofbalveld
Every word from Proto-Uralic pele- →