Ball

The spherical object used in games gets its name from an Old Norse word, bollr. It came into English around the 13th century and was known as a balle.

In Middle English, ballen meant to dance. It came from an Old French word, baller. Its use as a noun to describe an organised dance started in the 17th century. The word ballet came into English at about the same time but was adapted from the Italian balletto, meaning a little dance.