Where does “Valgrind” come from?
Valgrind (English) comes from Old Norse Valgrind, from Old Norse valr, from Proto-Germanic walaz, from Proto-Indo-European welh₃- — to hit, to strike.
Ancestry of “Valgrind”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | Valgrind | — |
| 2 | Old Norse | valr | the dead, slain in battle; falcon, hawk |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | walaz | wounded; lich, corpse, dead body; battlefield |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | welh₃- | to hit, to strike |