Where does “feather” come from?
Feather comes from Middle English feþer, from Old English feþer, from Proto-West Germanic feþru, from Proto-Germanic feþrō, from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥, ultimately from the root peth₂-.
feather (English): A branching, hair-like structure that grows on...
Definitions
- A branching, hair-like structure that grows on...
Ancestry of “feather”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | feder | — |
| 2 | Middle High German | vëdere | — |
| 3 | Old High German | fedara | feather |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | feþru | feather |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | feþrō | feather |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | péth₂r̥ | wing; feather |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |
Words derived from “feather”