'balladlike' originates from English, formed by combining 'ballad' and the suffix '-like', where '-like' meant 'having the characteristics of'.

'ballad' changed from Old French 'ballade', from Provençal 'ballada', from Italian 'ballata', ultimately from Latin 'ballare' meaning 'to dance'; the suffix '-like' comes from Old English 'lic' meaning 'body' or 'having the body of', which produced the adjectival '-like'.

Initially, it referred to songs or dances (connected to 'ballare'), but over time it evolved to mean 'resembling a ballad' — having the narrative, lyrical, or songlike qualities of a ballad.