Definition of fell

fellnoun

rơi

/fel//fel/

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.

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Example:
  • As the sun set, the sky suddenly fell into a deep shade of orange and red.

    Khi mặt trời lặn, bầu trời đột nhiên chuyển sang màu cam và đỏ thẫm.

  • The leaves on the tree suddenly fell to the ground, signaling the arrival of autumn.

    Những chiếc lá trên cây đột nhiên rụng xuống đất, báo hiệu mùa thu đã đến.

  • 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.

    Anh em nhà Thorpe đã tình cờ phát hiện ra một hang động ẩn trong chuyến đi bộ đường dài của họ, và khi họ bước vào bên trong, sức nặng của những tảng đá phía trên họ rơi xuống, nhốt họ bên trong.

  • The quiet room was shattered when there was a loud thud as a stack of books fell off the shelf.

    Căn phòng yên tĩnh bị phá vỡ khi có tiếng động lớn khi một chồng sách rơi khỏi kệ.

  • When the old oak tree finally fell after years of decay, the community gathered to watch it come crashing down.

    Khi cây sồi già cuối cùng cũng đổ xuống sau nhiều năm mục nát, cộng đồng đã tụ tập lại để chứng kiến ​​cảnh nó đổ ập xuống.

  • As a branch snapped off the tree, the sound of it falling echoed through the forest.

    Khi một cành cây gãy, âm thanh cành cây rơi xuống vang vọng khắp khu rừng.

  • The heavy snowfall caused the fragile branches to fall off the tree, littering the ground.

    Trận tuyết rơi dày khiến những cành cây mỏng manh rơi xuống, vương vãi trên mặt đất.

  • The old grandfather clock suddenly fell silent, stopped by the hands of time.

    Chiếc đồng hồ quả lắc cũ kỹ đột nhiên im bặt, dừng lại trước kim đồng hồ.

  • The wave came crashing down, sending the surfer tumbling as it fell beneath the water.

    Con sóng ập xuống, khiến người lướt sóng ngã lộn nhào xuống dưới nước.

  • The generator finally fell silent, plunging the building into darkness.

    Máy phát điện cuối cùng cũng ngừng hoạt động, khiến cả tòa nhà chìm vào bóng tối.

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