Where does “snøball” come from?
snøball (Norwegian Bokmål) comes from Norwegian Bokmål ball, from Danish bål, from French bal, from Late Latin ballare, from Ancient Greek βαλλίζω, from Proto-Indo-European gʷelH- — to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing.
snøball (Norwegian Bokmål): a snowball
Definitions
- a snowball
Ancestry of “snøball”, step by step
snøball traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Norwegian Bokmål ball
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norwegian Bokmål | ball | ball solid or hollow sphere |
| 2 | Danish | bål | fire, bonfire, pyre |
| 3 | French | bal | dance party, ball |
| 4 | Late Latin | ballare | to play, dance; to dance; present active... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | βαλλίζω | to dance, jump about |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷelH- | to throw, reach, pierce; to hit by throwing |