Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “fallen” come from?

fallen (Middle English) comes from Old English feallan, from Proto-West Germanic fallan, from Proto-Germanic fallaną, from Proto-Indo-European pōl-, from Slovincian pól, from Proto-Slavic polъ, from Proto-Indo-European (s)pelH- — to split off, separate; to chop, to separate.

Ancestry of “fallen”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishfeallanto fall
2Proto-West Germanicfallanto fall
3Proto-Germanicfallanąto fall
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpōl-—
5Slovincianpól—
6Proto-Slavicpolъside, flank; half; member of a pair of options →...
7Proto-Indo-European(s)pelH-to split off, separate; to chop, to separate

Words derived from “fallen”

  • fall
  • fallen
  • falling
  • falls
  • rainfall
  • downfall
  • nightfall
  • shortfall
  • snowfall
  • footfall
  • pitfall
  • crestfallen
  • landfall
  • falleth
  • unfallen
  • freefall
  • fallenness
  • deadfall
  • rockfall
  • litterfall
  • infall
  • icefall
  • faller
  • pratfall
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)pelH- →