fallow

== English == === Pronunciation === (UK) IPA(key): /ˈfæləʊ/ (US) enPR: fălʹō, IPA(key): /ˈfæloʊ/ Rhymes: -æləʊ === Etymology 1 === 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)). ==== Noun ==== fallow (countable and uncountable, plural fallows) (agriculture, uncountable) Ground ploughed and harrowed but left unseeded for one year. (agriculture, uncountable) Uncultivated land. The ploughing or tilling of land, without sowing it for a season. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Adjective ==== fallow (comparative more fallow, superlative most fallow) (of agricultural land) Ploughed but left unseeded for more than one planting season. (of agricultural land) Left unworked and uncropped for some amount of time. (figurative) Inactive; undeveloped. ===== Synonyms ===== (figuratively inactive): abeyant, dormant, latent; see also Thesaurus:inactive ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === 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”). ==== Verb ==== fallow (third-person singular simple present fallows, present participle fallowing, simple past and past participle fallowed) (transitive) To make land fallow for agricultural purposes. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 3 === 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”). ==== Adjective ==== fallow (comparative more fallow, superlative most fallow) Of a pale red or yellow, light brown; dun. ===== Derived terms ===== fallow deer ===== Translations ===== === References === Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “fallow”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. == Middle English == === Noun === fallow (Early Scots) alternative form of felawe == Middle Scots == === Alternative forms === falou, falow, fallo, follow fellow (Anglicised) === Etymology === Inherited from Early Scots falow, from Old English fēolaga, from Old Norse félagi. The development of /ɛl/ to /al/ before -ow is apparently regular (compare ȝallow); in some varieties, this further develops to /ɔl/ due to the preceding /f/. Therefore the form fellow must represent influence from Early Modern English. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈfalɔʊ̯/, /ˈfɔlɔʊ̯/ === Noun === fallow (plural fallowis) A partner, companion, or associate; one linked with oneself: A member of an association or gild. (rare) An equal or peer. (rare) A consort; the spouse of a monarch. Any male individual (especially of low status) A counterpart, equivalent, or match. ==== Descendants ==== Scots: fallae, fallow, falla, filla, fulla === References ===