Where does “blackfellow” come from?
blackfellow (English) comes from English fellow, from Middle English felawe, from Old English fēolaga, from Old Norse félagi, from Old Norse félag, from Old Norse fé, from Proto-Germanic fehu, from Proto-Indo-European péḱu — to pluck; livestock; wealth.
blackfellow (English): A Australian Aborigine
Definitions
- A Australian Aborigine
Ancestry of “blackfellow”, step by step
blackfellow traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fellow
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fellow | A colleague or partner; A companion; a comrade; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | felawe | A partner, friend, or colleague; one linked with... |
| 3 | Old English | fēolaga | companion, partner, colleague |
| 4 | Old Norse | félagi | one with whom one has joined one's property;... |
| 5 | Old Norse | félag | fellowship, partnership |
| 6 | Old Norse | fé | cattle; livestock; property, money |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | fehu | livestock, cattle; property; name of the F-rune |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | péḱu | livestock |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | peḱ- | to pluck; livestock; wealth |
via English Black
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Black | Alternative letter-case form of black |
| 2 | Old French | blanc | white |
| 3 | Late Latin | blancus | white |
| 4 | Frankish | blank | bright; gleaming, white, blinding; bright,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *blank | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | blankaz | bright, shining, white, gleaming, blinding |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bhleg- | to shine, white; to shine, burn, scorch |