Fallow
Old English fealgian ‘to break up land for sowing’, of Germanic origin; related to Low German falgen .
wiktionary
From Middle English falwe, from Old English fealh(“fallow land”), from Proto-West Germanic *falgu (compare Saterland Frisian falge, Dutch valg, German Felge), from Proto-Indo-European *polḱéh₂(“arable land”) (compare Gaulish olca, Russian полоса́(polosá)).
From Middle English falowen, falwen, from Old English fealgian(“to fallow; break up land”), from Proto-West Germanic *falgōn(“to fallow”). Cognate with Dutch valgen(“to plow lightly; fallow”), German Low German falgen(“to till; dig a hole”).
From Middle English falwe, from Old English fealu, from Proto-Germanic *falwaz (compare West Frisian feal, Dutch vaal, German falb, fahl), from Proto-Indo-European *polwos (compare Lithuanian pal̃vas(“sallow, wan”), Russian половый(polovyj, “wan, light yellow”), Serbo-Croatian plâv(“blond, blue”), Ancient Greek πολιός(poliós, “grey”)), from Proto-Indo-European *pelH-(“pale, gray”).
etymonline
fallow (n.)
c. 1300, from Old English fealh "fallow land," from Proto-Germanic *falgo (source also of Old High German felga "harrow," German Felge "plowed-up fallow land," East Frisian falge "fallow," falgen "to break up ground"), perhaps from a derivation of PIE root *pel- (2) "to fold," hence "to turn." Assimilated since Old English to fallow (adj.), according to OED probably because of the color of plowed earth. Originally "plowed land," then "land plowed but not planted" (1520s). As an adjective, from late 14c.
fallow (adj.)
"pale yellow, brownish yellow," Old English fealu "reddish yellow, yellowish-brown, tawny, dusk-colored" (of flame, birds' feet, a horse, withered grass or leaves, waters, roads), from Proto-Germanic *falwa- (source also of Old Saxon falu, Old Norse fölr, Middle Dutch valu, Dutch vaal, Old High German falo, German falb), from PIE root *pel- (1) "pale." Related: Fallow-deer.
