fallō

Uncertain. According to De Vaan, from Proto-Italic *falsō, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)gʷʰh₂el- (“to stumble”), and cognate with Sanskrit स्खल् (skhal, “to stumble, fail”), Persian ⁧سکرفیدن⁩ (sekarfidan, “to stumble”), Ancient Greek σφάλλω (sphállō, “to bring down”), σφάλλομαι (sphállomai, “to fall”), Old Armenian սխալեմ (sxalem, “to stumble, fail”).

Formerly considered to be from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰwel- (“to lie, deceive”), but this does not account for the /a/.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /ˈfal.loː/, [ˈfälːʲoː]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈfal.lo/, [ˈfälːo]

Verb

fallō (present infinitive fallere, perfect active fefellī, supine falsum); third conjugation

1. to deceive, beguile, trick, cheat, delude, ensnare, disappoint

   Synonyms: dēcipiō, mentior, frūstror, ēlūdō, dēstituō, fraudō, circumdūcō, circumveniō, ingannō, indūcō

2. (reflexive) to mistake, be mistaken, deceive oneself
3. to escape the notice of, be unseen
4. to appease, beguile
5. to swear falsely, perjure