Where does “pratfall” come from?
pratfall (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.
pratfall (English): A fall onto the buttocks; A humiliating mistake;...
Definitions
- A fall onto the buttocks; A humiliating mistake;...
Ancestry of “pratfall”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | fall | "To be moved downwards."; "To move downwards.";... |
| 2 | Middle English | fall | — |
| 3 | Old English | feall | Alternative form of fiell |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | fallą | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pōl- | to fall |