Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “fall” come from?

fall (German) comes from Middle High German val, from Old High German val, from Proto-West Germanic fall, from Proto-Germanic fallaz, from German Falz, from Latin falx, from Proto-Indo-European dʰelg- — a cutting tool; to stick; needle, pin.

fall (German): singular imperative of fällen; first-person...

Definitions

  1. singular imperative of fällen; first-person...

Ancestry of “fall”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanvalfall; case
2Old High Germanvalfall
3Proto-West Germanicfalla fall; death, destruction, downfall
4Proto-Germanicfallaza fall; death, destruction, downfall
5GermanFalzfold; rabbet, rebate; seam
6Latinfalxsickle, scythe; a hook used to pull down walls
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰelg-a cutting tool; to stick; needle, pin
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰelg- →