Where does “abseil” come from?
abseil (English) comes from German abseilen, from German seil, from Middle High German seil, from Old High German seil, from Proto-West Germanic sail, from Proto-Germanic sailą, from Proto-Indo-European sh₂éy-ōl ~ sh₂i-l-és, from Proto-Indo-European sh₂ey- — to satiate, satisfy.
abseil (English): To descend a steep or vertical drop using a rope...
Definitions
- To descend a steep or vertical drop using a rope...
Ancestry of “abseil”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | abseilen | to descend on a rope; to make s.o. descend on a... |
| 2 | German | seil | rope, line, cord |
| 3 | Middle High German | seil | — |
| 4 | Old High German | seil | rope, snare, fetter |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | sail | rope, cord |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | sailą | rope; cord |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sh₂éy-ōl ~ sh₂i-l-és | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | sh₂ey- | to bind, fetter |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | seh₂- | to satiate, satisfy |