Where does “breakfall” come from?

breakfall (English) comes from English break, from Middle English breken, from Old English brecan, from Proto-West Germanic brekan, from Proto-Germanic brekaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrēǵ- — to shine, shimmer.

breakfall (English): A technique to minimize impact and injury when falling or being thrown to the ground

Definitions

  1. A technique to minimize impact and injury when falling or being thrown to the ground

Ancestry of “breakfall”, step by step

breakfall traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English break

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbreakTo separate into two or more pieces, to fracture...
2Middle Englishbrekento break
3Old Englishbrecanto break; to break into a place
4Proto-West Germanicbrekanto break
5Proto-Germanicbrekanąto break
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrēǵ-to shine, shimmer

via English fall

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishfall"To be moved downwards."; "To move downwards.";...
2Middle Englishfall—
3Old EnglishfeallAlternative form of fiell
4Proto-Germanicfallą—
5Proto-Indo-European(s)pōl-to fall
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰrēǵ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic brekaną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic brekan →