Where does “football” come from?
Football derives from Middle English foteball, itself from Middle English fot and ball, with fot continuing Old English fōt, from Proto-Germanic fōts, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pṓds meaning foot.
football (English): A sport played on foot in which teams attempt to...
Definitions
- A sport played on foot in which teams attempt to...
Ancestry of “football”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fotbal | football game played with a ball; ancestor of soccer, American football, and rugby |
| 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 |