*balluz

Reconstruction

The word is *balluz in Wiktionary,^[1] *ƀalluz in Orel,^[2] and *ballu- or *balluz in Köbler.^[3]

Etymology

It is from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to blow, to swell”),^[1][3] through a PIE *bʰol-n- "round thing".^[1]

Morphology

A masculine u-stem.^[3][2] The double l continues PIE *-ln-, an n-extension of the root as in Latin.^[4]

Evidence

The u-stem is North Germanic: Old Norse bǫllr is a u-stem,^[4] while EWA takes Old High German bal from an a-stem *balla-z.^[4] Orel cites only these two forms, and no Gothic form is cited.^[2][3] The word was borrowed into Finnic: LÄGLOS derives Finnish pallo (“ball”) from *ballu-z or Proto-Norse *balluR, or from a weak *ballōn-.^[5]

Competing analyses

Kroonen heads the word as an n-stem, *ballan- "ball", nominative *balō, genitive *ballaz, from PIE *bʰól-ōn, *bʰl-n-ós; in his view the North Germanic *ballu- split off from the accusative plural *balluns.^[6] EWA sets up *balla-z for Old High German and grants *ballu-z for North Germanic,^[4] and reports Lühr's view that the geminate came from a laryngeal.^[4] Its cognates are Latin follis (“bag, ball”), Ancient Greek φαλλός (phallós, “penis”) and Old Irish ball (“member”).^[6][2]

Meanings

1. ball^[3][6]
2. round object, ball; ball of the hand or foot^[1]

Old Norse also used the word for "testicle",^[7] and Old High German for "morsel".^[4]

Derivatives

• *ballaka- "testicle", behind Old English bealloc.^[8]
• Ablaut variants: *bullǭ "round object, bowl"^[9] and *bullô "ball, bowl",^[10] Kroonen's *bullan-.^[8]

Reflexes

• Old Norse: bǫllr (“ball, testicle”)^[7]
• Old High German: bal (“ball, morsel, ball of the hand”)^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *balluz
2. ^ a b c d Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *ƀalluz
3. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *ballu-
4. ^ a b c d e f g Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. bal
5. ^ Kylstra, A. D.; Hahmo, Sirkka-Liisa; Hofstra, Tette; Nikkilä, Osmo (1991–2012), Lexikon der älteren germanischen Lehnwörter in den ostseefinnischen Sprachen, 3 vols, Amsterdam / Atlanta / New York: Rodopi, p. 26
6. ^ a b c Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 50
7. ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard, Altnordisches Wörterbuch, online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary database copy), p. s.v. bǫllr
8. ^ a b Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 83
9. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bullǭ
10. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bullô