Where does “goofball” come from?
goofball (English) comes from English -ball, 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 — to rise, to be tall; hill.
goofball (English): A foolish or silly person or animal; A pill or...
Definitions
- A foolish or silly person or animal; A pill or...
Ancestry of “goofball”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ball | forms nouns with the meaning "one who is characterized by" |
| 2 | English | Ball | surname |
| 3 | Middle English | bal | A ball; A rounded or spherical lump or bump,... |
| 4 | Old English | beall | ball |
| 5 | English | beal | A small inflammatory tumor; pustule; To gather... |
| 6 | Old English | hyll | hill |
| 7 | Albanian | hulli | furrow |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | hulliz | hill |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kl̥Hnís | hill |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kelH- | to rise, to be tall; hill |