Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Fidel” come from?

Fidel comes from Spanish Fidel, derived from Latin fidelis, from Latin fides meaning faith or trust, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ-.

Ancestry of “Fidel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1SpanishFidel—
2Latinfidēlis—
3Latinfidēs—
4Proto-Italicfeiðosfaithful, reliable
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeydʰos—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeydʰ-to compel, force; to trust
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ- →