Where does “oddball” come from?
oddball (English) comes from English odd, from Middle English odde, from Old Norse oddi, from Old Norse -i, from Latin -ē, from Latin dis-, from Latin calceus, from Latin calx — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.
oddball (English): An eccentric or unusual person; A deviant...
Definitions
- An eccentric or unusual person; A deviant...
Ancestry of “oddball”, step by step
oddball traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English odd
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | odd | Differing from what is usual, ordinary or... |
| 2 | Middle English | odde | inflection of od: ## weak singular ## strong/weak... |
| 3 | Old Norse | oddi | odd, third or additional number; triangle |
| 4 | Old Norse | -i | th |
| 5 | Latin | -ē | ly; used to form adverbs from adjectives |
| 6 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 7 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 8 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
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 |