March 9th, 2008
All You Need To Know About Balloons
Origins of the word balloon
The word balloon was originally derived from the French word ballon, meaning large ball. This was in turn probably derived from the latin ballone, or possibly from the old German word balla, meaning ball. Other related words include the Middle English bal, which was probably from the Old English beall, both meaning ball.
History of balloons
Early balloons were made out of animal bladders and intestines (yuk!) and often used by jesters who would manipulate them into amusing shapes for entertainment. Galileo also inflated a pig’s bladder in an experiment to measure the weight of air.
Modern balloons can be made from materials such as rubber, latex or plastic some use metallic coatings for added shine.