Where does “basketball” come from?
basketball (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.
basketball (English): A sport in which two opposing teams of five...
Definitions
- A sport in which two opposing teams of five...
Ancestry of “basketball”, step by step
basketball traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Ball
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ball | surname |
| 2 | Middle English | bal | A ball; A rounded or spherical lump or bump,... |
| 3 | Old English | beall | ball |
| 4 | English | beal | A small inflammatory tumor; pustule; To gather... |
| 5 | Old English | hyll | hill |
| 6 | Albanian | hulli | furrow |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | hulliz | hill |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kl̥Hnís | hill |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kelH- | to rise, to be tall; hill |
via English basket
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | basket | A lightweight container, generally round, open at... |
| 2 | Middle English | basket | A basket; The amount that fits in a basket |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman French | bascat | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | bascauda | kettle, table-vessel |
| 5 | Proto-Celtic | baski | bundle, load |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰask- | bundle, band |