Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ballot” come from?

Ballot comes from Italian ballotta, derived from Italian balla, which comes from Italian ballare, tracing back through Proto-Germanic balluz to Proto-Indo-European roots gʷelH- and bʰel-.

ballot (English): "Originally", a small ball placed in a container...

Definitions

  1. "Originally", a small ball placed in a container...

Ancestry of “ballot”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italianballottaboiled chestnut; ballot; shot, ball
2Italianballalarge bundle, torsello, bale, reap; falsehood,...
3Old Frenchballe—
4Medieval Latinballa—
5Frankishballa—
6Proto-Germanicballuzround object, ball; ball of the hand, foot, etc
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “ballot”

  • balloter
  • e-ballot
  • ballotless
  • ballotation
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →