Where does “tornfalk” come from?
tornfalk (Swedish) comes from Swedish falk, from Old Norse falki, from Middle Low German falke, from Old Saxon falko, from Proto-West Germanic falkō, from Proto-Germanic falkô, from Proto-Indo-European pōl-, from Slovincian pól — to split off, separate; to chop, to separate.
tornfalk (Swedish): a common kestrel
Ancestry of “tornfalk”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Swedish | falk | falcon |
| 2 | Old Norse | falki | a falcon |
| 3 | Middle Low German | falke | — |
| 4 | Old Saxon | falko | falcon |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | falkō | falcon |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | falkô | falcon |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pōl- | — |
| 8 | Slovincian | pól | — |
| 9 | Proto-Slavic | polъ | side, flank; half; member of a pair of options →... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)pelH- | to split off, separate; to chop, to separate |