Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bowls” come from?

Bowl comes from Middle English bolle, Old English bolla, and Latin bulla, all meaning a rounded vessel or bubble, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-.

bowls (English): plural of bowl; A precision sport where the goal...

Definitions

  1. plural of bowl; A precision sport where the goal...

Ancestry of “bowls”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbowlA roughly hemispherical container used to hold,...
2Middle Englishbollepod; shell
3Old Englishbollabowl
4Proto-Germanicbullôround object; ball; bowl
5Proto-Germanicballôball
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →