What is fell? How to use in English

Discover the meaning of fell in English, its pronunciation, and how to use it correctly in real-life situations. See examples and easy memorization tips.

Definition & pronunciation of fell

fellnoun

rơi

/fel//fel/

Where does the word fell come from?

The English word "fell" has an interesting etymological history. It originated from the Old Norse word "fallr," which means "sheet of rock" or "rock face." The Old Norse word was borrowed by the Old English language around the 10th century, where it was used to describe a rectangular slab of wood, particularly one used in the early stages of woodworking. As the Middle English language developed in the 12th century, "fell" began to take on a two-fold meaning. It continued to be used to describe wood, but it also came to refer to animals that had been killed, specifically the skin or pelt of the animal after it had been dressed (i.e., cleaned and prepared for tanning). This use of "fell" is thought to have arisen because in the process of preparing animal pelts for use, the hides would be stretched over wooden frames called "fell frames." The use of "fell" to describe wood or timber persisted in the English language, particularly in dialects spoken in northern England and Scotland, where it is still heard today. The use of "fell" to describe dressed animal pelts has largely fallen out of use in modern English, but it can still be seen in the older forms of certain words, such as "felting," which originally referred to the process of shrinking and matting wool fibers by felting a woolen garment with water and friction. In summary, the English word "fell" has evolved significantly over time, starting as an Old Norse description of a rock face, becoming a term for rectangular sheets of wood in Old English, and eventually coming to describe dressed animal pelts in Middle English. Its continued use in certain dialects of English today serves as a testament to its rich linguistic history.

Vocabulary summary fell

typenoun

meaningfur

meaningda people

meaningshaggy hair; shaggy coat

examplefell of hair

typetransitive verb

meaningknock down

meaninglead (tree), cut (tree), chop down

meaninghem

examplefell of hair

Example of vocabulary fellnamespace

  • As the sun set, the sky suddenly fell into a deep shade of orange and red.
  • The leaves on the tree suddenly fell to the ground, signaling the arrival of autumn.
  • The Thorpe brothers stumbled upon a hidden cave during their hiking trip, and as they stepped inside, the weight of the rocks above them fell, trapping them inside.
  • The quiet room was shattered when there was a loud thud as a stack of books fell off the shelf.
  • When the old oak tree finally fell after years of decay, the community gathered to watch it come crashing down.

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