Where does “firewall” come from?
Firewall comes from Middle English wall, from Old English weallan, from Latin vallum meaning rampart or fortification, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wel- meaning to turn or roll.
firewall (English): A fireproof barrier used to prevent the spread of...
Definitions
- A fireproof barrier used to prevent the spread of...
Ancestry of “firewall”, step by step
firewall traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via German Brandmauer
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Brandmauer | firewall |
| 2 | German | brand | fire, blaze destructive occurrence |
| 3 | English | brand | A conflagration; a flame; A piece of burning wood... |
| 4 | Danish | brand | fire; smut; brand |
| 5 | Old Danish | brand | fire |
| 6 | Old Norse | brandr | brand, firebrand; fire; sword |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | brandaz | fire; flash; flame; burning; flaming; firebrand;... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | brinnaną | to burn, to be on fire |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrewh₁- | to boil; to brew |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |
via English fire
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fire | A chemical reaction involving the bonding of... |
| 2 | Middle English | fier | Alternative form of figer |
| 3 | Old English | fȳr | fire |
| 4 | Old English | feor | Alternative form of feorr; far |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | ferrai | far, distant |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | per-nóy | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English Wall
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Wall | The Berlin Wall |
| 2 | Middle English | wall | Alternative form of wale |
| 3 | Old English | weall | wall; fervour; uproar; boiled or mulled wine |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wallaz | well, spring; wall, rampart, entrenchment |
| 5 | Latin | vallum | wall, rampart, entrenchment |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | wēl- | to see, perceive |