Where does “fastball” come from?

fastball (English) comes from English fast, from Middle English fast, from Old English fæste, from Old English -e, from Old English -en, from Old Norse -inn, from Proto-Norse -īna-, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz — adjectival suffix.

fastball (English): Any of the variations of high speed pitches...

Definitions

  1. Any of the variations of high speed pitches...

Ancestry of “fastball”, step by step

fastball traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English fast

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfastFirmly or securely fixed in place; stable; Firm...
2Middle Englishfastfast quickly
3Old Englishfæstefirmly, fastly, tightly
4Old English-eforming adverbs from adjectives; -ly
5Old English-enmæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;...
6Old Norse-innUsed to create adjectives from nouns, meaning...
7Proto-Norse-īna-—
8Proto-Germanic-īnaz-en
9Proto-Indo-European-iHnosCreates adjectives of materials
10Proto-Indo-European-no-adjectival suffix

via English Ball

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBallsurname
2Middle EnglishbalA ball; A rounded or spherical lump or bump,...
3Old Englishbeallball
4EnglishbealA small inflammatory tumor; pustule; To gather...
5Old Englishhyllhill
6Albanianhullifurrow
7Proto-Germanichullizhill
8Proto-Indo-Europeankl̥Hníshill
9Proto-Indo-EuropeankelH-to rise, to be tall; hill

Words derived from “fastball”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -no- →Every word from Proto-Germanic -īnaz →Every word from Old English -en →