Where does “fall” come from?

Fall comes from English wale, Proto-Germanic fallaną meaning to fall or tumble, and Proto-Indo-European roots including pōl-, (s)kʷálos, and wel- related to turning or rolling motion.

fall (English): "To be moved downwards."; "To move downwards.";...

Definitions

  1. "To be moved downwards."; "To move downwards.";...

Ancestry of “fall”, step by step

fall traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English fall

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishfall
2Old EnglishfeallAlternative form of fiell
3Proto-Germanicfallą
4Proto-Indo-European(s)pōl-to fall

via Old English fealle

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishfealletrap
2Proto-Germanicfallǭ

Words derived from “fall

Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)pōl-
fall — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer