'ballerina' originates from Italian, specifically the word 'ballerina', where 'ballare' meant 'to dance'.

'ballerina' came into English from Italian 'ballerina' (a diminutive feminine form related to 'ballare') and was adopted into English usage in the 18th–19th century; the modern English plural is 'ballerinas'.

Initially, it meant 'a (female) dancer' (a diminutive form implying a dancer), and it evolved to refer specifically to a female ballet dancer in modern usage.