Where does “sootball” come from?

sootball (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.

sootball (English): A ball of soot or ash

Definitions

  1. A ball of soot or ash

Ancestry of “sootball”, step by step

sootball traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Ball

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBallsurname
2Middle EnglishbalA ball; A rounded or spherical lump or bump,...
3Old Englishbeallball
4EnglishbealA small inflammatory tumor; pustule; To gather...
5Old Englishhyllhill
6Albanianhullifurrow
7Proto-Germanichullizhill
8Proto-Indo-Europeankl̥Hníshill
9Proto-Indo-EuropeankelH-to rise, to be tall; hill

via English soot

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishsootFine black or dull brown particles of amorphous...
2Middle EnglishsootAlternative form of swete; soot
3Old Englishswōtsweet
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kelH-