'avalanche' originates from French, specifically the word 'avalanche', where 'aval' meant 'down' and '-anche' was a suffix indicating action or process.

'avalanche' changed from the French word 'avalanche' and eventually became the modern English word 'avalanche'.

Initially, it meant 'a descent of snow', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a large mass of snow, ice, and rocks falling rapidly down a mountainside'.