Where does “spoofball” come from?
spoofball (English) comes from English goofball, from English -ball, from English Ball, from Middle English bal, from Old English beall, from English beal, from Old English hyll, from Albanian hulli — to rise, to be tall; hill.
spoofball (English): Involving both goofy and spoofing behavior
Definitions
- Involving both goofy and spoofing behavior
Ancestry of “spoofball”, step by step
spoofball traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English goofball
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | goofball | A foolish or silly person or animal; A pill or... |
| 2 | English | -ball | forms nouns with the meaning "one who is characterized by" |
| 3 | English | Ball | surname |
| 4 | Middle English | bal | A ball; A rounded or spherical lump or bump,... |
| 5 | Old English | beall | ball |
| 6 | English | beal | A small inflammatory tumor; pustule; To gather... |
| 7 | Old English | hyll | hill |
| 8 | Albanian | hulli | furrow |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | hulliz | hill |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | kl̥Hnís | hill |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | kelH- | to rise, to be tall; hill |
via English spoof
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | spoof | An act of deception; a hoax; a joking prank; A... |