Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fame” come from?

Fame comes from Old French fame, from Latin femina meaning woman, from Proto-Indo-European bheh₂meh₂-, derived from the root bʰeh₂- or dʰeh₁(y)-.

fame (English): What is said or reported; gossip, rumour; One's...

Definitions

  1. What is said or reported; gossip, rumour; One's...

Ancestry of “fame”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchfamewife, female partner; woman
2Latinfēmina—
3Proto-Italicfēmanāwoman
4Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeh₁-m̥n-eh₂who sucks; one who is sucked; one who suckles;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeh₁(y)-to suckle, nurse

Words derived from “fame”

  • fameless
  • disfame
  • fameworthy
  • enfame
  • cyberfame
  • fame-ish
  • microfame
  • e-fame
  • fames
  • unfame
  • famacide
  • famelessness
  • semifame
  • feimi
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁(y)- →