Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “enfeoff” come from?

enfeoff (English) comes from Middle English enfeffen, from Old French enfeffer, from Old French fief, from Latin fevum, from Latin feudum, from Frankish fehu, from Proto-Germanic fehu, from Proto-Indo-European péḱu — to pluck; livestock; wealth.

enfeoff (English): To transfer a fief to, to endow with a fief; to...

Definitions

  1. To transfer a fief to, to endow with a fief; to...

Ancestry of “enfeoff”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishenfeffento grant under the feudal system
2Old Frenchenfeffer—
3Old Frenchfiefestate held by a person on condition of providing...
4Latinfevumfief, fee
5LatinfeudumA fief, fee
6Frankishfehulivestock, cattle; cattle, owndom, property, fee;...
7Proto-Germanicfehulivestock, cattle; property; name of the F-rune
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpéḱulivestock
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpeḱ-to pluck; livestock; wealth

Words derived from “enfeoff”

  • enfeoffment
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peḱ- →