Where does “vaal” come from?
vaal (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch vaal, from Middle Dutch vāle, from Old Dutch falo, from Frankish falu, from Proto-Germanic falwaz, from Proto-Indo-European polHwós, from Proto-Indo-European pelH- — pale, gray.
Ancestry of “vaal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | vaal | sallow, pallid; pale, light |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | vāle | — |
| 3 | Old Dutch | falo | — |
| 4 | Frankish | falu | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | falwaz | pale, gray, fallow |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | polHwós | pale, gray |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pelH- | pale, gray |