Where does “fauxpen” come from?
fauxpen (English) comes from English open, from Middle English open, from Old English open, from Proto-West Germanic *opan, from Proto-Germanic upanaz, from Proto-Indo-European upó, from Proto-Indo-European h₃ewp-.
fauxpen (English): Open, but with restrictions
Definitions
- Open, but with restrictions
Ancestry of “fauxpen”, step by step
fauxpen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English open
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | open | Not closed; Not physically drawn together,... |
| 2 | Middle English | open | open |
| 3 | Old English | open | open |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *opan | open |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | upanaz | open |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | upó | under, below |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₃ewp- | — |
via English faux
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | faux | fake or artificial |
| 2 | French | faux | false; untrue; false; not real; badly;... |
| 3 | Middle French | faux | Alternative form of faulx |
| 4 | Middle French | faulx | false; untrue; false; pretentious; scythe |
| 5 | Old French | fauz | scythe |
| 6 | Latin | falx | sickle, scythe; a hook used to pull down walls |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰelg- | a cutting tool; to stick; needle, pin |