Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fearmonger” come from?

fearmonger (English) comes from English fear, from Middle English fere, from Old English fēre, from Proto-Germanic fēriz, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.

fearmonger (English): Someone who spreads fear, or needlessly raises...

Definitions

  1. Someone who spreads fear, or needlessly raises...

Ancestry of “fearmonger”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfearA strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion or...
2Middle Englishfere—
3Old Englishfēreable to go, fit for service
4Proto-Germanicfērizcrossing, able to cross
5Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →