Where does “fílsbein” come from?
fílsbein (Icelandic) comes from Icelandic fíll, from Old Norse fíll, from Arabic فِيل, from Middle Persian pyl, from Latin pirum — a pear.
fílsbein (Icelandic): ivory
Ancestry of “fílsbein”, step by step
fílsbein traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Icelandic fíll
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Icelandic | fíll | an elephant |
| 2 | Old Norse | fíll | elephant |
| 3 | Arabic | فِيل | elephant; the elephant |
| 4 | Middle Persian | pyl | elephant; bishop |
| 5 | Latin | pirum | a pear |
via Icelandic bein
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Icelandic | bein | a bone |
| 2 | Old Norse | bein | leg; bone |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | bainą | leg; bone |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyh₂- | to fear, be afraid; to strike, hit; to hew, cut |