Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “balljoint” come from?

balljoint (English) comes from English ball, from Middle English ball, from Middle English bal, from Old English beall, from English beal, from Old English hyll, from Albanian hulli, from Proto-Germanic hulliz — to rise, to be tall; hill.

balljoint (English): ball-and-socket joint

Definitions

  1. ball-and-socket joint

Ancestry of “balljoint”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishballA solid or hollow sphere, or roughly spherical...
2Middle EnglishballAlternative form of bal; Alternative form of bale
3Middle EnglishbalA ball; A rounded or spherical lump or bump,...
4Old Englishbeallball
5EnglishbealA small inflammatory tumor; pustule; To gather...
6Old Englishhyllhill
7Albanianhullifurrow
8Proto-Germanichullizhill
9Proto-Indo-Europeankl̥Hníshill
10Proto-Indo-EuropeankelH-to rise, to be tall; hill
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kelH- →