Etymograph

English

forewall

Forewall comes from Old English foreweall ‘a rampart or bulwark’, from weall ‘wall’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek ἧλος ‘nailhead, stud’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἧλος1hêlos‘nailhead, stud’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvallum2‘wall, rampart, entrenchment’
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*wall3‘wall, rampart’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150weall4‘wall’
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150foreweall5‘a rampart or bulwark’
  6. Englishtodayforewall5

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin vallum
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Proto-West Germanic *wall
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Old English weall
  4. 4 Wiktionary, Old English foreweall
  5. 5 Wiktionary, English forewall

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEἧλοςWiktionary, Latin vallumhêlos‘nailhead, stud’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEvallumWiktionary, Proto-West Germanic *wall‘wall, rampart, entrenchment’
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*wallWiktionary, Old English weall‘wall, rampart’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150weallWiktionary, Old English foreweall‘wall’
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150foreweallWiktionary, English forewall‘a rampart or bulwark’
  6. EnglishtodayforewallWiktionary, English forewall

Every English word from Ancient Greek ἧλος

Today it means

noun The foremost outer wall of a fortification; rampart, bulwark.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “forewall”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin vallum, Proto-West Germanic *wall, Old English weall, Old English foreweall. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek ἧλος / forewall

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