Where does “ballad” come from?
Ballad comes from French ballade, from Old Occitan ballada, from Late Latin ballare meaning to dance, from Ancient Greek βάλλω meaning to throw, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH-.
ballad (English): A kind of narrative poem, adapted for recitation...
Definitions
- A kind of narrative poem, adapted for recitation...
Ancestry of “ballad”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | French | ballade | ballade; ballad |
| 2 | Old Occitan | ballada | poem for a dance |
| 3 | Late Latin | ballare | to play, dance; to dance; present active... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | βαλλίζω | to dance, jump about |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |
Words derived from “ballad”