Where does “anheimfallen” come from?

anheimfallen (German) comes from German fällen, from Middle High German vellen, from Old High German fellen, from Proto-Germanic *fallijan, from Proto-Germanic fallijaną, from Proto-Germanic fallaną, from Proto-Indo-European pōl-, from Slovincian pól — to split off, separate; to chop, to separate.

anheimfallen (German): to fall victim

Definitions

  1. to fall victim

Ancestry of “anheimfallen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanfällento cut down, to fell; to precipitate; to make
2Middle High Germanvellen
3Old High Germanfellen
4Proto-Germanic*fallijan
5Proto-Germanicfallijanąto cause to fall, to fell
6Proto-Germanicfallanąto fall
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpōl-
8Slovincianpólhalf
9Proto-Slavicpolъside, flank; half; member of a pair of options →...
10Proto-Indo-European(s)pelH-to split off, separate; to chop, to separate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)pelH-