pitfall

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)pōl-
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*fallą
3. Old English · inherited fromfealle“trap, snare”
4. English todaypitfall

First recorded use in the 14th century from pit + fall in the sense of "pit trap, pit snare", from Old English fealle (“trap, snare”), from Proto-Germanic *fallą, *fallaz (“a fall, trap”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pōl-. Cognate with German Falle (“trap, snare”).

Words from the same roots