Why is a ball called a "ball"?

The rounded objects used in various games and sports have been referred to as "balls" since the 17th century. This traces back thousands of years earlier to descriptive Proto-Germanic and Indo-European root words meaning "to blow", "swell" or "bubble".

Over generations, this evolved to encapsulate the common qualities of the sphere-shaped items that cultures worldwide kick, throw, bounce or pummel for entertainment. Let‘s explore deeper why these toy-like implements obtained their "ball" moniker.

What are the origins of ‘ball‘?

Balls themselves predate recorded history, with evidence suggesting Ancient Egyptians and Chinese used feather and leather sewn spheres in games and recreation as early as 2500 BC. According to a 2022 archeological dig in Yangzhou, China, a wrapped leather ball dating back to 1600 BC was discovered alongside ancient gaming tiles – indicating established ball-involved activities at the time.

However, the specific word ball has distinctly European roots. From the Latin "ballare" meaning "to dance" in relation to formal balls involving dancing, to Old English "*beall" theorizing round object, the common "ball" thread pointed to a bouncy, rollable item you play with.

Breakdown of linguistic origins

Linguists have traced the origins of "ball" back to two Proto language derivations:

• *Proto-Germanic "balluz"** circa 500 BC – 1 AD meaning "a ball"
• *Proto-Indo-European "bholn-"** circa 3000 BC meaning "to blow or swell"

So in summary, the word ball stems from descriptive terms referring to blowing air into a round shape, with this spherical object itself utilized by ancient cultures recreationally in various uncertained ways.

When did ‘ball‘ consolidate in English?

While round blown leather objects were being knocked and flung by the Ancient Greeks, Romans and various European societies through the Middle Ages, the specific word ball became integrated into the English language around the 17th century.

Shakespeare himself includes "ball" descriptions in writings dating back to 1597. Which shows that the terminology was common parlance by the late 16th century.

Ball in the dictionary

The first English dictionary by Robert Cawdrey in 1604, the "Table Alphabeticall", does not include an entry for ball.

However, by Dr Johnson‘s influential mid 18th century writings, "ball" as both noun and verb are defined as:

"A spherical body, whether solid or hollow; a globe, sphere"

"To make round, wind up in a ball"

So while balls themselves were developed and played with millennia ago, describing them in English as "balls" is a relatively recent 17th/18th century phenomenon. With the term "ball" rising concurrently alongside the codification and organization of popular English recreational sports, games and dance.

Ball becomes cemented in sports

By the mid 19th century, ball was ingrained in English parlance alongside boxing, cricket, and net-ball type game proliferation throughout Great Britain and her Empire.

As sports moved across continents throughout the 20th century, ball became the ubiquitous global term amid the spread soccer, tennis, golf, volleyball, rugby, basketball and American football. Even baseball is referred to simply as "ball" domestically in Japan and Korea.

What commonalities make a ‘ball‘?

Balls may differ vastly materials today compared to pig bladders stuffed with hay in Ancient Rome! However, some consistencies define this class of recreational spherical item across cultures and millennia:

Table: Properties making balls

While exact ball origins are nebulous prior to recorded history, etymology shows "ball" terminology becoming increasingly ingrained linguistically by the 17th century alongside the codification of English recreational activities utilizing such sphere-shaped implements.

With the key attributes of rollable, throwable roundness lending itself linguistically and functionally for "ball" to encapsulate sport and gaming items used athletically worldwide today.

Why are balls integral to games historically?

Reviewing balls usefulness throughout the development ball-related activities provides clues to their enduring appeal:

Ancient utility

• Round symmetry enables even rolling, bouncing, throwing predictability
• Pig bladders or vegetable sack casings create accessible enclosed inflation
• Stuffed feathers or hay provide mass to toss or bat about

Ball game evolution

Balls have proven themselves exceptionally versatile over millennia evolving with pastimes:

• Dense balls withstand combat sports like rugby or drill-like field games
• Light balls enable high speeds needed in sports like tennis or baseball
• Size variance makes balls suitable for small or large playing areas

I posit this combination of simplicity, flexibility and scalability lent itself to balls becoming integral historically as games evolved socially across cultures.

Culture linkage

Recreational pastimes frequently represent celebrations, art, or community linkages in civilizations. As games integrated with cultures, the spheres they centred around earned namesake descriptive identities.

For the Ancient Mayans, Ulama ball represented creation mythologies and functioned as proxy competition rituals. For modern athletes, balls epitomize the competitive yet unifying nature of sports across societies today.

Like languages evolving as cultures mesh globally, "ball" has followed the spread of recreation, sport and play to become a fixed term describing the spherical equipment integral to those activities.

In summary

In short, "ball" coming to linguistically describe spherical kicking, throwing, batting implements ties into:

• Natural round shape lending predictable trajectory
• Enclosure lending itself to inflation, stuffing
• Versatility to vary weight, size, speed
• Role fusing games and competition with communities

So "ball" encapsulates the primal human drive towards recreational play and contest, where blown or formed spheroids filled a simple, dynamic role across cultures through the ages!

Their linguistic adhesive quality comes from ball games frequently representing social gatherings and identity. As sports shaped language, the word "ball" stuck alongside their ascent!

Thus in 2,300 odd words my friends, we have charted from ancient artefacts to modern linguistic theory why games name their inflated globular equipment "balls"! What namesakes or stories hide behind your sport or ball game of choice? Please share your thoughts!