Where does “op de valreep” come from?
op de valreep (Dutch) comes from Dutch valreep, from Dutch vallen, from Middle Dutch vallen, from Old Dutch fallan, from Proto-West Germanic fallan, from Proto-Germanic fallaną, from Proto-Indo-European pōl-, from Slovincian pól — to split off, separate; to chop, to separate.
op de valreep (Dutch): at the last minute
Ancestry of “op de valreep”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Dutch | valreep | rope ladder; originally a single rope with knots;... |
| 2 | Dutch | vallen | to fall, to tumble; to fall, to begin; to be able... |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | vallen | to fall; to drop; to let oneself fall, to throw... |
| 4 | Old Dutch | fallan | to fall; to descend |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | fallan | to fall |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | fallaną | to fall |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pōl- | — |
| 8 | Slovincian | pól | — |
| 9 | Proto-Slavic | polъ | side, flank; half; member of a pair of options →... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pelH- | to split off, separate; to chop, to separate |