fallow

fallow · noun, adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*polḱéh₂“arable land”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*falgu
3. Old English · inherited fromfealh
4. Middle English · inherited fromfalwe
5. English todayfallow

[Alt: A photograph of a ploughed field.] From Middle English falwe, from Old English fealh, fealg (“fallow land”), from Proto-West Germanic *falgu (compare Saterland Frisian Falge, West Frisian falig, felling, Dutch valg, German Felge), from Proto-Indo-European *polḱéh₂ (“arable land”) (compare Gaulish olca, Russian полоса́ (polosá)).

fallow · verb²

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*falgōn“to fallow”
2. Old English · inherited fromfealgian“to fallow; break up land”
3. Middle English · inherited fromfalowen
4. English todayfallow

From Middle English falowen, falwen, from Old English fealgian (“to fallow; break up land”), from Proto-West Germanic *falgōn (“to fallow”). Cognate with Dutch valgen (“to plow lightly; fallow”), German Low German falgen (“to till; dig a hole”).

fallow · adjective³

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*pelH-“pale, gray”
2. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*polwos
3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*falwaz
4. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*falu
5. Old English · inherited fromfealu
6. Middle English · inherited fromfalwe
7. English todayfallow

[Alt: A photograph of a light brown deer.] From Middle English falwe, from Old English fealu, from Proto-West Germanic *falu, from Proto-Germanic *falwaz (compare West Frisian feal, Dutch vaal, German falb, fahl, French fauve), from Proto-Indo-European *polwos (compare Lithuanian pal̃vas (“sallow, wan”), Russian поло́вый (polóvyj, “wan, light yellow”), Serbo-Croatian plâv (“blond, blue”), Ancient Greek πολιός (poliós, “grey”)), from Proto-Indo-European *pelH- (“pale, gray”).

Words from the same roots