Where does “knuckleball” come from?
knuckleball (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.
knuckleball (English): A pitch thrown with the ball gripped on the...
Definitions
- A pitch thrown with the ball gripped on the...
Ancestry of “knuckleball”, step by step
knuckleball traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Ball
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ball | surname |
| 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 |
via English knuckle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | knuckle | Any of the joints between the phalanges of the... |
| 2 | Middle English | knokel | finger joint |
| 3 | Old English | cnucel | the juncture of two bones; knuckle; joint |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | knukil | knuckle, joint, small bone |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | knukilaz | knuckle, small bone; knot, bump |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | knukô | joint, bone |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gnew- | a bundle; knot; knot, bundle |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gen- | to squeeze, pinch, kink, ball up, concentrate; to... |