Where does “voldgrav” come from?

voldgrav (Danish) comes from Danish vold, from Middle Low German wal, from Proto-Germanic wallaz, from Latin vallum, from Proto-Indo-European wēl- — to see, perceive.

voldgrav (Danish): a moat

Definitions

  1. a moat

Ancestry of “voldgrav”, step by step

voldgrav traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Danish vold

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishvoldviolence; force; assault and battery
2Middle Low Germanwal—
3Proto-Germanicwallazwell, spring; wall, rampart, entrenchment
4Latinvallumwall, rampart, entrenchment
5Proto-Indo-Europeanwēl-to see, perceive

via Danish grav

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Danishgravgrave, tomb; pit, ditch, trench; imperative of...
2Old Norsegrǫfpit, pothole, grave
3Proto-Germanicgrabągrave
4Proto-Indo-Europeangʰrābʰ-to dig, scratch, scrape
Every word from Proto-Indo-European wēl- →Every word from Latin vallum →Every word from Proto-Germanic wallaz →