Where does “featherly” come from?

featherly (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.

featherly (English): Like feathers

Definitions

  1. Like feathers

Ancestry of “featherly”, step by step

featherly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English feather

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfeatherA branching, hair-like structure that grows on...
2Germanfederfeather
3Middle High Germanvëderefeather
4Old High Germanfedarafeather
5Proto-West Germanicfeþrufeather
6Proto-Germanicfeþrōfeather
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpéth₂r̥wing; feather
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpeth₂-to spread out; to fly

via English ly

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishlyAbbreviation of light-year
2VietnameselyAlternative spelling of li
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peth₂-Every word from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥Every word from Proto-Germanic feþrō
featherly — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer