Where does “scuzzball” come from?
scuzzball (English) comes from English -ball, 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.
scuzzball (English): Someone who does nasty things or plays harmful tricks; a person of very low ethics; a lowlife
Definitions
- Someone who does nasty things or plays harmful tricks; a person of very low ethics; a lowlife
Ancestry of “scuzzball”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -ball | forms nouns with the meaning "one who is characterized by" |
| 2 | English | Ball | surname |
| 3 | Middle English | bal | A ball; A rounded or spherical lump or bump,... |
| 4 | Old English | beall | ball |
| 5 | English | beal | A small inflammatory tumor; pustule; To gather... |
| 6 | Old English | hyll | hill |
| 7 | Albanian | hulli | furrow |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | hulliz | hill |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | kl̥Hnís | hill |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kelH- | to rise, to be tall; hill |