Where does “fay” come from?
Fay derives from English ofay, which comes from English foe, traced to Proto-Germanic fōgijaną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots peyk- and paḱ-, with connections to Latin for meaning adversary or enemy.
fay (English): To fit; To join or unite closely or tightly; To...
Definitions
- To fit; To join or unite closely or tightly; To...
Ancestry of “fay”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | faie | Magical, enchanted, or otherworldly; fey or fae;... |
| 2 | Middle French | feie | — |
| 3 | Old French | fae | — |
| 4 | Latin | fāta | — |
| 5 | Latin | fātum | — |
| 6 | Latin | fātus | — |
| 7 | Latin | for | "defective"; I speak, talk, say |
| 8 | Proto-Italic | fāōr | speak |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéh₂ti | to speak, to be talking |