Where does “Calvinball” come from?

Calvinball (English) comes from English Ball, from Middle English bal, from Old English beall, from English beal, from Old English hyll, from Albanian hulli, from Proto-Germanic hulliz, from Proto-Indo-European kl̥Hnís — to rise, to be tall; hill.

Calvinball (English): A deliberately absurd sport without rules

Definitions

  1. A deliberately absurd sport without rules

Ancestry of “Calvinball”, step by step

Calvinball traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Ball

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBallsurname
2Middle EnglishbalA ball; A rounded or spherical lump or bump,...
3Old Englishbeallball
4EnglishbealA small inflammatory tumor; pustule; To gather...
5Old Englishhyllhill
6Albanianhullifurrow
7Proto-Germanichullizhill
8Proto-Indo-Europeankl̥Hníshill
9Proto-Indo-EuropeankelH-to rise, to be tall; hill

via English Calvin

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishCalvin
2Middle FrenchCauvin
3LatinCalvinus
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kelH-
Calvinball — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer