Where does “paddleball” come from?
paddleball (English) comes from English paddle, from Middle English padell, from Medieval Latin padela, from Middle English spaddle, from English spade, from Italian spade, from Italian spata, from Latin spatha.
paddleball (English): An early form of racquetball
Definitions
- An early form of racquetball
Ancestry of “paddleball”, step by step
paddleball traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English paddle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | paddle | A two-handed, single-bladed oar used to propel a... |
| 2 | Middle English | padell | small spade |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | padela | — |
| 4 | Middle English | spaddle | — |
| 5 | English | spade | A garden tool with a handle and a flat blade for... |
| 6 | Italian | spade | plural of spada |
| 7 | Italian | spata | spathe |
| 8 | Latin | spatha | spatula, spattle; spatha; a long, two-edged,... |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | σπάθη | any broad blade, of wood or metal |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | sph₂-dʰ- | — |
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 |