The word "volleyball" is a transparent compound formed in Modern English. Its first element, "volley," entered English from French, carrying the sense of a projectile in flight, particularly a simultaneous discharge of missiles or, in sports, a shot returned before it bounces. The second element, "ball," is a fundamental Germanic word for a rounded object used in games. The sport was invented in 1895 and originally called "mintonette," but was quickly renamed based on the key characteristic of volleying the ball back and forth over the net. Thus, the term literally and logically describes a game defined by playing a ball in the air with a volley.

Structure: volley (a flight or shot) + ball (a spherical object) - volley: From French volée meaning "a flight," from the verb voler "to fly," ultimately from Latin volare "to fly." In this compound, it denotes the action of the ball being hit in flight before it touches the ground. - ball: From Middle English bal, from Old English beall or Old Norse bǫllr, meaning "a spherical object." It denotes the primary piece of equipment used in the game.