Where does “fathered” come from?
Fathered comes from Middle English -ed, Old English -od, Proto-Germanic fadēr, and Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗr, derived from the root peh₂- meaning to protect or sustain.
fathered (English): simple past tense and past participle of father
Definitions
- simple past tense and past participle of father
Ancestry of “fathered”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | father | A male who begets a child; A male ancestor more... |
| 2 | Middle English | fader | A father; the male direct ancestor of someone or... |
| 3 | Old English | fæder | father |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fader | father |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fadēr | father |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₂tḗr | father |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂- | to protect; to shepherd |