Where does “overfallen” come from?
overfallen (Middle English) comes from Old English oferfeallan, 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 “overfallen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | oferfeallan | to fall upon, attack; beset; onfall |
| 2 | Old English | feallan | to fall |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | fallan | to fall |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | fallaną | to fall |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pōl- | — |
| 6 | Slovincian | pól | — |
| 7 | Proto-Slavic | polъ | side, flank; half; member of a pair of options →... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pelH- | to split off, separate; to chop, to separate |
Words derived from “overfallen”