Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “mothbally” come from?

mothbally (English) comes from English mothball, 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.

mothbally (English): Resembling or suggesting mothballs, especially...

Definitions

  1. Resembling or suggesting mothballs, especially...

Ancestry of “mothbally”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmothballA small ball of chemical pesticide and deodorant...
2EnglishBallsurname
3Middle EnglishbalA ball; A rounded or spherical lump or bump,...
4Old Englishbeallball
5EnglishbealA small inflammatory tumor; pustule; To gather...
6Old Englishhyllhill
7Albanianhullifurrow
8Proto-Germanichullizhill
9Proto-Indo-Europeankl̥Hníshill
10Proto-Indo-EuropeankelH-to rise, to be tall; hill
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kelH- →