Where does “furball” come from?

furball (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.

furball (English): A ball of fur, especially one coughed up by a...

Definitions

  1. A ball of fur, especially one coughed up by a...

Ancestry of “furball”, step by step

furball traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

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

via English fur

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfurThe hairy coat of various mammal species,...
2Middle Englishfurre
3Old Frenchfuerrehay
4Frankishfōdarfodder, sheath
5Proto-Germanicfōdrąfodder; sheath
6Proto-Germanicfōdôfood, nourishment
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpat-to feed; path; to go
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kelH-