The Spanish word 'boli' is actually a shortened, colloquial form of 'bolígrafo', which means 'ballpoint pen'. The word 'bolígrafo' itself is a compound formed from two parts: 'bola' (meaning 'ball') and '-grafo' (meaning 'writing instrument').

The 'bola' part comes from Latin 'bulla' meaning 'bubble' or 'ball', while '-grafo' derives from the Greek word 'graphein' meaning 'to write'. So a 'bolígrafo' literally means 'ball writer', referring to the small ball bearing at the tip of the pen that rolls to distribute ink - exactly how a ballpoint pen works!

The Spanish word 'bola' meaning 'ball' is directly related to 'boli'. This connection makes sense since a ballpoint pen (bolígrafo/boli) uses a tiny ball bearing to write. Other related words include 'boliche' (bowling), 'bolear' (to throw), and 'bolita' (little ball).

While not directly related to 'boli', English has many words derived from the Greek 'graphein' including 'graph', 'graphic', 'photograph', and 'biography'. All these words relate to writing or recording information. The English word 'bull' (as in a papal bull) comes from the same Latin 'bulla', though it developed a different meaning, referring to the round seal on official documents rather than the ball shape itself.