Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “befeather” come from?

befeather (English) comes from English feather, from German feder, from Middle High German vëdere, from Old High German fedara, from Proto-West Germanic feþru, from Proto-Germanic feþrō, from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.

befeather (English): To deck or cover with feathers

Definitions

  1. To deck or cover with feathers

Ancestry of “befeather”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfeatherA branching, hair-like structure that grows on...
2Germanfeder—
3Middle High Germanvëdere—
4Old High Germanfedarafeather
5Proto-West Germanicfeþrufeather
6Proto-Germanicfeþrōfeather
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpéth₂r̥wing; feather
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpeth₂-to spread out; to fly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- →