ball
UK[bɔːl]US[bɔːl]
n
A round object used in games and sports, that can be thrown, hit, or kicked.
n
A formal social event for dancing.
Etymology
The English word 'ball' originates from the Old Norse 'bǫllr', meaning a rounded object. This term is related to Old English 'bealluc', found in the anatomical term 'bealluc' (testicle), highlighting the core semantic concept of a round mass or sphere. These Germanic forms are traced back to the Proto-Germanic 'balluz' or 'ballô', which itself is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root 'bhel-', meaning 'to blow, swell, inflate'. The semantic journey from the action of swelling to the resulting round shape is clear. The sense of a formal dance event derives from the French 'bal', a separate borrowing from the Late Latin 'ballare', meaning 'to dance', which is unrelated to the spherical object.
Analysis
The word 'ball' is a simplex word of Germanic origin. It functions as a single, indivisible root morpheme.
Examples
The children kicked a ball back and forth in the park.
She practiced her serve with a tennis ball against the wall.
They met at the annual winter ball held at the grand hotel.