Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “father” come from?

Father comes from Middle English fader, Old English fæder, and Proto-Germanic fadēr, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗr meaning male parent.

father (English): A male who begets a child; A male ancestor more...

Definitions

  1. A male who begets a child; A male ancestor more...

Ancestry of “father”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishfaderA father; the male direct ancestor of someone or...
2Old Englishfæderfather
3Proto-West Germanicfaderfather
4Proto-Germanicfadērfather
5Proto-Indo-Europeanph₂tḗrfather
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂-to protect; to shepherd

Words derived from “father”

  • fatherland
  • fathered
  • patristic
  • patrilineal
  • patrilocal
  • patrilocality
  • patrilineality
  • patrilineally
  • patrilateral
  • unfathered
  • housefather
  • fatherlike
  • patriclan
  • patrifocal
  • patrilocally
  • patricentric
  • motherfather
  • patrifocality
  • birthfather
  • fatherese
  • fatherdom
  • fatherfucker
  • nonfather
  • fatherer
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- →