Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Wale” come from?

Wale (German) comes from German Wal, from Old High German wal, from Proto-West Germanic hwal, from Proto-Germanic hwalaz, from Proto-Indo-European (s)kʷálos — large fish; sheatfish.

Wale (German): plural of Wal: whales; whales

Definitions

  1. plural of Wal: whales; whales

Ancestry of “Wale”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1GermanWalwhale
2Old High Germanwalbattlefield
3Proto-West Germanichwalwhale
4Proto-Germanichwalazwhale, sheatfish
5Proto-Indo-European(s)kʷáloslarge fish; sheatfish

Words derived from “Wale”

  • Zahnwale
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)kʷálos →