Where does “feathermonger” come from?

feathermonger (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.

feathermonger (English): A person who sells feathers

Definitions

  1. A person who sells feathers

Ancestry of “feathermonger”, step by step

feathermonger 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 monger

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishmongerA dealer in a specific commodity; A person...
2Middle EnglishmongereA retailer; a merchant
3Old Englishmāngeretrader, merchant, dealer, monger
4Old Englishmāngianto trade, traffic, do as a monger
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peth₂-Every word from Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥Every word from Proto-Germanic feþrō