Where does “befall” come from?
befall (German) comes from German befallen, from German fallen, from Middle High German vallen, from Old High German fallan, from Proto-West Germanic fallan, from Proto-Germanic fallaną, from Proto-Indo-European pōl-, from Slovincian pól — to split off, separate; to chop, to separate.
befall (German): singular imperative of befallen
Definitions
- singular imperative of befallen
Ancestry of “befall”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | befallen | to affect; to seize; to infest |
| 2 | German | fallen | to fall; to drop; to die; to fall in battle; to... |
| 3 | Middle High German | vallen | to fall |
| 4 | Old High German | fallan | to fall |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | fallan | to fall |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | fallaną | to fall |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pōl- | — |
| 8 | Slovincian | pól | half |
| 9 | Proto-Slavic | polъ | side, flank; half; member of a pair of options →... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pelH- | to split off, separate; to chop, to separate |