Where does “allenfalls” come from?
allenfalls (German) comes from German -falls, from German falls, from German fäll, from Middle High German val, from Old High German val, from Proto-West Germanic fall, from Proto-Germanic fallaz, from German Falz — a cutting tool; to stick; needle, pin.
allenfalls (German): at most, at best
Definitions
- at most, at best
Ancestry of “allenfalls”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | -falls | used to form adverbs from adjectives |
| 2 | German | falls | if, in the event that; in case, in order to be... |
| 3 | German | fäll | singular imperative of fällen; first-person... |
| 4 | Middle High German | val | fall; case |
| 5 | Old High German | val | fall |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | fall | a fall; death, destruction, downfall |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | fallaz | a fall; death, destruction, downfall |
| 8 | German | Falz | fold; rabbet, rebate; seam |
| 9 | Latin | falx | sickle, scythe; a hook used to pull down walls |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰelg- | a cutting tool; to stick; needle, pin |