Etymology Explorer › Old Norse

Where does “fífl” come from?

fífl (Old Norse) comes from Proto-Germanic fimbulaz, from Proto-Indo-European bamb- — to inflate, swell; round object.

Ancestry of “fífl”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicfimbulazgiant; monster
2Proto-Indo-Europeanbamb-to inflate, swell; round object
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bamb- →