Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “faeling” come from?

faeling (English) comes from English fae, from Old French fae, from Latin fāta, from Latin fātum, from Latin fātus, from Latin for, from Proto-Italic fāōr, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéh₂ti — to speak, to be talking.

faeling (English): A young fairy creature

Definitions

  1. A young fairy creature

Ancestry of “faeling”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfaeAlternative spelling of fey
2Old Frenchfae—
3Latinfāta—
4Latinfātum—
5Latinfātus—
6Latinfor"defective"; I speak, talk, say
7Proto-Italicfāōrspeak
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰéh₂tito speak, to be talking
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰéh₂ti →