Where does “Rheinfall” come from?
Rheinfall (German) comes from German Rhein, from Middle High German Rīn, from Old High German Rīn, from Proto-West Germanic *Rīn, from Proto-Germanic Rīnaz, from Gaulish Rēnos, from Proto-Celtic Reinos, from Proto-Indo-European h₃reyH- — to move, to stir; to rise, to spring; to quarrel,...
Ancestry of “Rheinfall”, step by step
Rheinfall traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Rhein
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Rhein | Rhine; the river Rhine |
| 2 | Middle High German | Rīn | — |
| 3 | Old High German | Rīn | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *Rīn | the river Rhine |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | Rīnaz | the river Rhine |
| 6 | Gaulish | Rēnos | that which flows |
| 7 | Proto-Celtic | Reinos | river, waterway |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃reyH- | to move, set in motion |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃er- | to move, to stir; to rise, to spring; to quarrel,... |
via German fäll
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | fäll | singular imperative of fällen; first-person... |
| 2 | Middle High German | val | fall; case |
| 3 | Old High German | val | fall |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fall | a fall; death, destruction, downfall |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fallaz | a fall; death, destruction, downfall |
| 6 | German | Falz | fold; rabbet, rebate; seam |
| 7 | Latin | falx | sickle, scythe; a hook used to pull down walls |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰelg- | a cutting tool; to stick; needle, pin |