English
foothole
From foot + hole, possibly influenced by foothold.
Proto-Indo-European *pṓds ‘foot’
Proto-Germanic *fōts ‘foot’
Proto-West Germanic *fōt
Old English fōt ‘foot’
Middle English fot ‘foot’
English foot
Proto-Germanic *hulaz ‘hollow’
Proto-Germanic *hulą ‘hollow space’
Proto-West Germanic *hol ‘hollow space, cavity’
Old English hol ‘hole, hollow place’
Middle English hole
English hole
The story
From foot + hole, possibly influenced by foothold.
Today it means
noun A hole in a cricket pitch made by the bowler's foot during the runup.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / foothole