Dutch word valscherm comes from Proto-Indo-European *pol-, Proto-Indo-European *pōl-, Proto-Indo-European *(s)pōl-, Proto-Indo-European *h₂ph₃elh₁né-, and later Proto-Germanic *fallaną (To fall.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *pol- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *pōl- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *(s)pōl- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to fall |
| *h₂ph₃elh₁né- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *fallaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To fall. |
| fallan | Old Dutch (odt) | |
| vallen | Middle Dutch (dum) | To collapse. To drop. To fall. To fall, to be located, to be part. To fall, to occur, to happen. To let oneself fall, to throw oneself. |
| vallen | Dutch (nld) | (auxiliary, with te) to be able to be. (intransitive) to fall, to begin (of a time period). (intransitive) to fall, to tumble. |
| valscherm | Dutch (nld) | Parachute. |