Where does “Falter” come from?

Falter (German) comes from German falten, from Middle High German valden, from Old High German faldan, from Proto-West Germanic falþan, from Proto-Germanic falþaną, from Proto-Indo-European pel- — to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold.

Falter (German): an insect of the order Lepidoptera, i.e. a...

Definitions

  1. an insect of the order Lepidoptera, i.e. a...

Ancestry of “Falter”, step by step

Falter traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German falten

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanfaltento fold
2Middle High Germanvalden—
3Old High Germanfaldanto fold
4Proto-West Germanicfalþanto fold
5Proto-Germanicfalþanąto fold
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpel-to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold

via Middle High German vīvalter

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanvīvalter—
2Old High Germanfīfaltra—
3Proto-Germanicfifaldǭbutterfly
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpāpel-—

Words derived from “Falter”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European pel- →