Where does “feathers” come from?
Feather comes from Middle English feþer, Old English feþer, Proto-West Germanic feþru, Proto-Germanic feþrō, and Proto-Indo-European péth₂r̥, ultimately from the root peth₂-.
feathers (English): plural of feather; Third-person singular simple...
Definitions
- plural of feather; Third-person singular simple...
Ancestry of “feathers”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | feather | A branching, hair-like structure that grows on... |
| 2 | German | feder | feather |
| 3 | Middle High German | vëdere | feather |
| 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 |