Where does “pal” come from?
pal (Middle French) comes from Latin palla, from Frankish ball, from Northern Sami bállu, from Northern Sami ballát, from Proto-Samic pëlājëtēk, from Proto-Samic pëlëtēk, from Proto-Uralic pele- — to fear.
Ancestry of “pal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | palla | A rectangular piece of cloth worn by ladies in... |
| 2 | Frankish | ball | — |
| 3 | Northern Sami | bállu | testicle, ball |
| 4 | Northern Sami | ballát | to become scared |
| 5 | Proto-Samic | pëlājëtēk | to become scared |
| 6 | Proto-Samic | pëlëtēk | to fear |
| 7 | Proto-Uralic | pele- | to fear |