Where does “landfall” come from?

landfall (English) comes from English fall, from Middle English fall, from Old English feall, from Proto-Germanic fallą, from Proto-Indo-European (s)pōl- — to fall.

landfall (English): Arrival at the shore by ship; The point at which...

Definitions

  1. Arrival at the shore by ship; The point at which...

Ancestry of “landfall”, step by step

landfall traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

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

via English Land

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishLandThe part of Earth which is not covered by oceans or other bodies of water
2Middle EnglishlandAlternative form of lond; urine
3Old Englishhlandurine
4Proto-Germanichlandąurine
5Proto-Indo-Europeanklān-liquid, wet ground
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)pōl- →Every word from Proto-Germanic fallą →Every word from Old English feall →