Word of the Day: FALLOW
Uncultivated or inert
fallow (adj) - left uncultivated, inactive, or idle [fal-oh]
fallow as a verb means to deliberately leave a field out of crop production for a defined period
fallow as a noun refers to cultivated land that is left unseeded for one or more growing seasons; a pale, muted yellowish-brown color
BREAKDOWN: The agricultural origins of the word fallow can be traced to the Old English fealh or felg meaning plowed land left unseeded. The thread winds through Proto-Germanic and East Frisian to a possible connection to the root PL- meaning to fold in words like quadruple. Fallow as a color derives from Old English adjective fealu meaning yellowish brown, which itself connects to the root PALL- meaning pale in words like appall and pallor.
“Treating ourselves like appliances that can be unplugged and plugged in again at will or cars that stop and start with the twist of a key, we have forgotten the importance of fallow time and winter and rests in music.” —William Bridges
[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not necessarily derived from classical roots.]