# Why is a big fancy dance called a "ball?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 15, 2002, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-big-fancy-dance-called-a-ball/136792 "2002-11-15T01:03:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-big-fancy-dance-called-a-ball/136792/1 "2002-11-15T01:03:24Z")
What’s the origin of the word “ball” to mean a huge event with dancing and dinner and formality? ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-big-fancy-dance-called-a-ball/136792/2 "2002-11-15T01:14:02Z")
According to my OED, it comes from the Latin _ballare_ - to dance. I guess _ballet_ has a similar root. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-big-fancy-dance-called-a-ball/136792/3 "2002-11-15T01:15:56Z")
[www.m-w.com](http://www.m-w.com) concurs. They damn well better. ---
**Author:** ![boomvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@boomvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boomvark)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-big-fancy-dance-called-a-ball/136792/4 "2002-11-15T01:25:41Z")
Not sure if this is the kind of answer you’re looking for, but my American Heritage Dictionary shows the word’s derivation as: > [@](#): > > [French _bal_, from Old French, from _baller_, to dance, from Late Latin _ballare_, from Greek _ballizein_.] It goes on to reference the Indo-European root word, in a typeface I won’t even try to duplicate. I’d guess the Spanish _bailar_, to dance, derives more directly from the same source. ---
**Author:** ![boomvark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@boomvark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boomvark)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-big-fancy-dance-called-a-ball/136792/5 "2002-11-15T01:27:09Z")
Damn, you guys are quick. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-big-fancy-dance-called-a-ball/136792/6 "2002-11-15T01:30:14Z")
All I know is that rats have small balls because they don’t dance much. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-big-fancy-dance-called-a-ball/136792/7 "2002-11-15T01:31:51Z")
It’s also why fortune tellers dance VERY slowly. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-big-fancy-dance-called-a-ball/136792/8 "2002-11-15T01:33:32Z")
Thanks, guys! ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-big-fancy-dance-called-a-ball/136792/9 "2002-11-15T03:11:28Z")
The term used to be much more common not that many years ago. My favorite Texas swing song is _Big Ball’s in Cowtown_ by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-big-fancy-dance-called-a-ball/136792/10 "2002-11-15T04:15:40Z")
Then there’s the story about the English lady who was staying in a hotel and complained about the noise. - They’re holding a Highlander’s ball, Ma’am. - Well, it’s about time they let go! ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2002, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-big-fancy-dance-called-a-ball/136792/11 "2002-11-15T05:06:18Z")
Cited as a large dance type thingy first in 1632.