Etymology Explorer › Old Norse

Where does “foss” come from?

foss (Old Norse) comes from Proto-Germanic fursaz, from Pre-Germanic pŕ̥sos, from Proto-Indo-European pers- — to sprinkle, to spatter.

foss (Old Norse): waterfall

Definitions

  1. waterfall

Ancestry of “foss”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicfursazwaterfall, torrent
2Pre-Germanicpŕ̥sos—
3Proto-Indo-Europeanpers-to sprinkle, to spatter

Words derived from “foss”

  • Force
  • foss
  • fossefall
  • fosse
  • fossefall
  • foss
  • fosse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pers- →