Where does “fairling” come from?
fairling (English) comes from English fair, from Middle English fayr, from Old English fæġer, from Proto-West Germanic fagr, from Proto-Germanic fagraz, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂ḱ- — to fasten, place.
fairling (English): A fairing; a present brought from a fair
Definitions
- A fairing; a present brought from a fair
Ancestry of “fairling”, step by step
fairling traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fair
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fair | Beautiful, of a pleasing appearance, with a pure... |
| 2 | Middle English | fayr | fair |
| 3 | Old English | fæġer | beautiful |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fagr | beautiful |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fagraz | suitable, fitting, appropriate, nice |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₂ḱ- | to fasten, place |
via English Ling
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Ling | Any of various codlike saltwater fish often used as food by humans, those of the genus Molva, in the family Lotidae |
| 2 | Middle English | ling | Any of various varieties of heather or broom |
| 3 | Old Norse | lyng | heather, ling |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | lingwą | heather, ling |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lengʷʰ- | light, agile, nimble; light, not heavy, agile,... |