Where does “screwball” come from?
screwball (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.
screwball (English): A pitch thrown with added pressure by the index...
Definitions
- A pitch thrown with added pressure by the index...
Ancestry of “screwball”, step by step
screwball 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 screw
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | screw | A device that has a helical function; The motion... |
| 2 | Middle English | screw | — |
| 3 | Old French | escroue | nut, cylindrical socket, screwhole; scroll, strip... |
| 4 | Latin | scrofa | sow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kerbʰ- | to scratch, scrape |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |