Where does “featherdown” come from?
featherdown (English) comes from English feather, from German feder, from Middle High German vëdere, from Old High German fedara, from Proto-West Germanic feþru, from Proto-Germanic feþrō, from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥, from Proto-Indo-European peth₂- — to spread out; to fly.
featherdown (English): Down
Ancestry of “featherdown”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | feather | A branching, hair-like structure that grows on... |
| 2 | German | feder | — |
| 3 | Middle High German | vëdere | — |
| 4 | Old High German | fedara | feather |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | feþru | feather |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | feþrō | feather |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | péth₂r̥ | wing; feather |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | peth₂- | to spread out; to fly |