Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian fallach , flach , fālich arable land (West Frisian felge ploughed soil, fallow land), Dutch †valge , valg ploughed land, arable land, fallow land, late Middle Low German valge ploughed land, ploughing of a fallow field, Old High German felga ploughed land (German (regional) Falge , Felge , Falg ploughed land, fallow land), probably < the same Indo-European base as Gaulish olca arable land, Old Russian polosa stripe, strip, strip of arable land (Russian polosa ), Polish pɫosa strip of arable land, Slovene plasa strip of arable land; perhaps further related to Old High German felahan to put together (see feal v.; perhaps compare also felloe n.).The Old English forms fealh , fealg- probably reflect a strong feminine (ō -stem), whereas Germanic cognates, such as Old High German felga , may continue a weak feminine (jōn -stem), with i-mutation of the stem vowel caused by the suffix. Old English forms such as felg- perhaps also show a mutated stem vowel. Compare fallowing n. All Old English attestations of the word are in glosses translating forms of post-classical Latin occa . Some of the attestations in interlinear glosses and glossaries evidently translate uses of occa by Aldhelm, and it has been suggested that this is the ultimate source of all the glossarial attestations. Post-classical Latin occa is attested in a number of senses (probably of more than one etymological origin), and the sense of the lemma in Aldhelm's use is disputed. The attestation in De laude virginitatis 28, which underlies quots. eOE and OE at sense 1, is now often assumed to mean ‘ploughed land’ (in figurative context); compare later attestation of occa in similar sense in continental sources (from 998), apparently as a variant of post-classical Latin olca ( < Gaulish olca , cited above). The interpretation of the Old English evidence as also showing this sense (accepted here) is supported by the later use of the word in Middle English and by the sense of the older Germanic cognates. It has alternatively been suggested that the sense of occa in Aldhelm's use, as well as of the Old English word, is ‘crop’, in support of which have been adduced attestations of the Latin word apparently denoting shrubs or hedges in continental glossaries (perhaps compare also the alternative gloss ear in quot. OE at sense 1, although it is disputed whether this should be interpreted as ear n.²). Earlier discussion frequently assumed the sense ‘harrow’ for the uses of post-classical Latin occa in Aldhelm and consequently also for the Old English word. This sense is well-attested in continental sources (from 4th cent.) and in later British sources (compare classical Latin occāre to harrow, and for the further etymology see edge v.²), but results in strained readings in all four of the passages in which Aldhelm uses the word. It is doubtful whether any of the attestations of occa glossed by forms of Old English fealh or the related Old English fylging , faelging (see fallowing n.) should be interpreted as ‘harrow’.

Etymology: Cognate with West Frisian feal , East Frisian (Saterland) foal , Middle Dutch vale , (inflected) valuw- (Dutch vaal , (rare) valuw ), Old Saxon falu (Middle Low German vāle , vāl ), Old High German falo , (inflected) falaw- , faluw- (Middle High German val , (inflected) valw- , German fahl , (after historical inflected forms) falb ), early Scandinavian (runic: Sweden) faluan (accusative singular masculine), Old Icelandic fǫlr , (inflected) fǫlv- < the same Indo-European base as Old Church Slavonic plavŭ (of ripening crops) white, Old Russian polovyj yellowish white, (of crops) ripe (Russian polovyj (of dogs and horses) straw-coloured, pale yellow), Lithuanian palvas straw-coloured, pale yellow, and probably also (with a suffix) classical Latin pallidus pale (compare pallid adj.); perhaps further related to the Indo-European forms listed at pullous adj.The semantic range of the word as a colour term in early use in English, as well as the other older Germanic languages, has been the subject of considerable discussion, especially its use in Old English verse, where it occurs in some unexpected contexts, e.g. describing the sea or its waves (this particular usage survives into Middle English verse; compare quots. OE³, c1440 at sense A. 1). It has been suggested that such early uses may imply a degree of brightness rather than a specific hue. Compare also the use with reference to pallor of the human face (compare quot. c1405 at sense A. 1 and also fallow v.¹ 2). In quot. OE¹ at sense A. 1 the word is used of the hide of a wild animal (probably a fox, although other identifications have been suggested). The early forms faloh, falo are attested in glossaries copied by continental scribes and may be influenced in spelling by Old High German falo.

Etymology: < fallow n.¹ Compare faugh adj.

Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to Middle Dutch valen , valuwen (Dutch valen , †valuwen ), Middle Low German vālen , vālewen , Old High German falewēn (Middle High German valwen , falben , German (now regional: Switzerland) falwen , falben ) < the Germanic base of fallow adj.¹

Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to West Frisian felgje , East Frisian (Saterland) foolgje , North Frisian (Mainland) fielge , Dutch velgen (1599 as velghen ), late Middle Low German velgen , valgen , Old High German felgen (Middle High German velgen , valgen , German (regional) felgen , falgen ), all in sense ‘to plough or break up (land)’ < the Germanic base of fallow n.¹ The α. forms were probably reinforced by fallow n.¹ and fallow adj.² Compare fauch v.Quot. lOE shows a weak verb of Class II. However, currency of a parallel weak Class I formation (early West Saxon *fielgan ), of which Old English fealgian was perhaps originally a by-form, is suggested by the β. forms. Compare the Germanic cognates, which appear to show weak Class I forms (with i-mutation of the stem vowel) beside unmutated stem forms. It has been suggested that the Old English noun forms fylging , faelging , which apparently show i-mutation (see fallowing n.), constitute further evidence for an earlier weak Class I verb in Old English. However, the i-mutation in fylging , faelging may alternatively have been caused by the suffix or indicate derivation from fallow n.¹ (for which forms suggestive of mutation are also found: see discussion at that entry). With sense 3 compare earlier fallowed adj., pin-fallow v., and summer fallow v.