Where does “shortfalling” come from?
shortfalling (English) comes from English falling, from English fall, from Middle English fall, from Old English feall, from Proto-Germanic fallą, from Proto-Indo-European (s)pōl- — to fall.
shortfalling (English): A falling short; failure to meet an expectation...
Definitions
- A falling short; failure to meet an expectation...
Ancestry of “shortfalling”, step by step
shortfalling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English falling
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | falling | present participle of fall; That falls or fall;... |
| 2 | English | fall | "To be moved downwards."; "To move downwards.";... |
| 3 | Middle English | fall | — |
| 4 | Old English | feall | Alternative form of fiell |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fallą | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pōl- | to fall |
via English short
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | short | Having a small distance from one end or edge to... |
| 2 | Middle English | schort | short as opposed to being tall or long |
| 3 | Old English | sċeort | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | skurt | short; lacking, deficient |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | skurtaz | short; lacking, deficient |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ḱer- | dung, manure, filth; manure, dung, filth |