Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “avalanche” come from?

Avalanche comes from French avalanche, from Franco-Provençal avalançhe, from Franco-Provençal aval meaning downward.

avalanche (English): A large mass or body of snow and ice sliding...

Definitions

  1. A large mass or body of snow and ice sliding...

Ancestry of “avalanche”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchavalancheavalanche
2Franco-Provençalavalançhe—
3Latinlabanka—
4Late Latinlabinalandslide; landslide; slippery place; a slippery...
5Latinlabipresent active infinitive of lābor; to glide; to...
6Latinlaborwork; labour, toil; hardship, trouble, fatigue,...
7Old Latinlabos—
8Romanianlabăpalm; paw
9Hungarianlábleg; foot; support, stand
10Proto-Uralicluwebone
11Proto-Iranian*Hrawpācáh—
12Proto-Indo-Iranian*Hrawpāćás—

Words derived from “avalanche”

  • avalanchar
  • avalancho
Every word from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Hrawpāćás →