Where does “pelota” come from?
pelota (Portuguese) 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 (Portuguese): a small ball or sphere
Definitions
- a small ball or sphere
Ancestry of “pelota”, step by step
pelota traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French pelote
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | pelote | small ball |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | pilotta | — |
| 3 | Latin | pila | mortar; pillar; pier |
| 4 | Latin | pīlus | a hair |
| 5 | Latin | pīlum | a pounder, pestle |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | pistlom | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pis-tlo- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | peys- | to grind, to crush |
via Old Occitan pelota
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old Occitan | pelota | — |