Where does “pelota” come from?

pelota (Galician) comes from Old French pelote, from Vulgar Latin pilotta, from Latin pila, from Latin pīlus, from Latin pīlum, from Proto-Italic pistlom, from Proto-Indo-European pis-tlo-, from Proto-Indo-European peys- — to grind, to crush.

pelota (Galician): ball; butter pellet; an abnormal growth in the...

Definitions

  1. ball; butter pellet; an abnormal growth in the...

Ancestry of “pelota”, step by step

pelota traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French pelote

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchpelotesmall ball
2Vulgar Latinpilotta
3Latinpilamortar; pillar; pier
4Latinpīlusa hair
5Latinpīluma pounder, pestle
6Proto-Italicpistlom
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpis-tlo-
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpeys-to grind, to crush

via Old Occitan pelota

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Occitanpelota
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peys-Every word from Proto-Indo-European pis-tlo-Every word from Proto-Italic pistlom