Etymo

abseil

To descend using a rope.

Played on · Day 57 · word 1 of 5

The rope is in the verb

How abseil reached English

oldest first
  • ab-‘down or from’
  • Seil‘rope’

combined

  1. German

    abseilen

    ‘To lower or descend by rope’

    into English

  2. English

    abseil

    ‘To descend by rope’

The story of abseil

English borrowed German abseilen, a verb formed from ab- and Seil.

The German word is a derived verb. Related older rope words are cognates, not a series of donors.

Source

Merriam-Webster: abseil

German ab- and Seil mean down or from and rope; abseilen is the derived verb.

Related

Sail looks close in English, but the German noun means rope.

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