Where does “Schmetterball” come from?

Schmetterball (German) comes from German ball, from French bal, from Old French bal.

Schmetterball (German): smash

Definitions

  1. smash

Ancestry of “Schmetterball”, step by step

Schmetterball traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German ball

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanballball round or roundish object, most commonly used in games
2Frenchbaldance party, ball
3Old Frenchbal—

via German schmettern

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanschmetternto smash
Every word from Old French bal →Every word from French bal →Every word from German ball →
Schmetterball — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer