Where does “highball” come from?

highball (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.

highball (English): A cocktail made from a spirit plus soda water...

Definitions

  1. A cocktail made from a spirit plus soda water...

Ancestry of “highball”, step by step

highball 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 high

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhighElevated, extending above a base or average...
2Middle Englishheighhigh; Alternative form of hey; Alternative form...
3Old Englishhēahhigh, tall, lofty, high-class, exalted, sublime,...
4Old Englishhāmhome; village, community; village, hamlet, manor,...
5Proto-West Germanichaimhome
6Proto-Germanichaimazhome; house; village
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱóymosof the home, belonging to the family; village,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱey-to be lying down; to settle

Words derived from “highball

Every word from Proto-Indo-European kelH-