Where does “foss” come from?
foss (Icelandic) comes from Old Norse fors, from Proto-Germanic fursaz, from Pre-Germanic pŕ̥sos, from Proto-Indo-European pers- — to sprinkle, to spatter.
foss (Icelandic): a waterfall
Ancestry of “foss”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | fors | a waterfall |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | fursaz | waterfall, torrent |
| 3 | Pre-Germanic | pŕ̥sos | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | pers- | to sprinkle, to spatter |