English
ecbole
Ecbole comes from Ancient Greek ἐκβολή ‘a digression’, from ἐκβάλλω ‘to throw out’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-1‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-1reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnō1reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλω2‘to throw’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐκβάλλω3ekbállō‘to throw out’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐκβολή3ekbolḗ‘a digression’
- Englishearliest quotation 1813ecbole3
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλω
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐκβάλλω
- 3 Wiktionary, English ecbole
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1813, J.M. Good & al., Pantologia: “Ecbole: a […] change in the enharmonic genus, by…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷelH-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλω‘to hit by throwing’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷl̥-ne-h₁-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλωreconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*gʷəlnōWiktionary, Ancient Greek βάλλωreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβάλλωWiktionary, Ancient Greek ἐκβάλλω‘to throw’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐκβάλλωWiktionary, English ecboleekbállō‘to throw out’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἐκβολήWiktionary, English ecboleekbolḗ‘a digression’
- Englishearliest quotation 1813ecboleWiktionary, English ecbole. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1813, J.M. Good & al., Pantologia: “Ecbole: a […] change in the enharmonic genus, by…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- ‘to hit by throwing’
ball, quail, quill, quell, obelisk, pul, 63 more
through Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō
ballistic, symbolic, ballista, symbolist, 34 more
through Ancient Greek βάλλω ‘to throw’
problem, devil, symbol, emblem, metabolic, parable, hyperbolic, parabolic, embolism, anabolic, metabolize, hyperbola, 33 more
Today it means
noun A digression, (especially) one in which a person is introduced speaking his or her own words.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “ecbole”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Ancient Greek βάλλω, Ancient Greek ἐκβάλλω. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- / ecbole