Etymology

From French ballon, from Middle French ballon, from Italian pallone ‎(“large ball”), from palla ‎(“ball”), from Lombardic *palla ‎(“ball”), although the then Northern Italian form balla, from Old French balle, from Frankish balla, is likely the more direct influence; both from Proto-Germanic *ballô ‎(“ball”), *balluz, from Proto-Indo-European *bholn- ‎(“bubble”), from Proto-Indo-European *bhel- ‎(“to blow, swell, inflate”).

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /bɐ.ˈlɐ̃w̃/
• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ba.ˈlɐ̃w̃/
• Hyphenation: ba‧lão