Ball
English edit
Etymology edit
Multiple theories and origins.
- From a short form of the Middle English given name Baldwin.
- A toponymic surname for a person that lives near a knoll or rounded hill (i.e. somewhere shaped like a ball).
- From the Old Norse given name Balle.
- A habitational surname for a person from Ball, Cornwall, from Cornish Pelen.
Proper noun edit
Ball
- An English surname.
- A town in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States.
- A hamlet in Egloshayle parish, on the eastern outskirts of Wadebridge, Cornwall, England (OS grid ref SX0073).
Derived terms edit
Central Franconian edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Middle High German and Old High German bal, from Proto-Germanic *balluz.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
Ball m (plural Balle or Bäll, diminutive Bällche)
- (most dialects) ball (round or roundish object, most commonly used in games)
Derived terms edit
Etymology 2 edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
Ball f or m (plural Balls)
Usage notes edit
- The plural, Balls, is only used in western Ripuarian and the Limburgan-Ripuarian Transitional Dialects. The other dialects do not have a (known) plural. There is also no known diminutive.
- The feminine form is used in westernmost Ripuarian and the Limburgan-Ripuarian Transitional Dialects, the masculine form is used in most other dialects.
German edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Middle High German and Old High German bal, from Proto-West Germanic *ballu, from Proto-Germanic *balluz.
Cognates include English ball, Dutch bal, Danish bold, Swedish boll, Icelandic böllur, and Norwegian ball.
Noun edit
Ball m (strong, genitive Balles or Balls, plural Bälle, diminutive Bällchen n)
- ball (round or roundish object, most commonly used in games)
- Können wir uns deinen Ball ausleihen? ― Can we borrow your ball?
- Er formte einen Ball aus Papier. ― He shaped the paper into a ball.
- (ball games, informal) pass, play
Usage notes edit
- The German words Kugel and Ball are usually distinguished inasmuch as the former refers to solid balls (such as those used for billiards or bowling) while the latter refers to air-filled or elastic balls (such as tennis or footballs/soccer balls). This distinction may be neglected colloquially or jokingly.
Declension edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Etymology 2 edit
Noun edit
Ball m (strong, genitive Balles or Balls, plural Bälle)
Declension edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
- “Ball” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “Ball” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
- “Ball (Sport- und Spielgerät)” in Duden online
- “Ball (Tanzveranstaltung)” in Duden online
- Ball on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia de
Limburgish edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Middle Dutch bal, from Old Dutch *bal, from Frankish *ball, from Proto-West Germanic *ballu, from Proto-Germanic *balluz.
Alternative forms edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
Ball m (plural Bäll, diminutive Bälltje) (German-based spelling, Eupen spelling)
- ball (round or roundish object, most commonly used in games)
- (informal) testicle, nut
- (anatomy) ball (of the hand or foot)
- (chiefly in the negative) anything
Etymology 2 edit
Alternative forms edit
- bal (most dialects)
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
Ball m (plural Bäll, diminutive Bälltje) (German-based spelling, Eupen spelling)
Luxembourgish edit
Etymology edit
From Middle High German and Old High German bal, from Proto-West Germanic *ballu, from Proto-Germanic *balluz.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
Ball m (plural Bäll)
- ball (round object for playing sports)