Where does “feign” come from?

Feign comes from Middle English feinen and feynen, from Latin fingere meaning "to shape or form," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dʰeyǵʰ- meaning "to form or knead."

feign (English): To make a false show or pretence of; to...

Definitions

To make a false show or pretence of; to...

Ancestry of “feign”, step by step

Step	Language	Word	Meaning
1	Middle English	feynen	To make, produce, cause; To fake, feign, defraud,...
2	Old French	feindre	to feign
3	Latin	fingere	second-person singular future passive indicative...
4	Proto-Indo-European	dʰeyǵʰ-	to knead; to form, to shape

Words derived from “feign”

fain
feigning
finagle
feigneth
feigner
feignest
finagler
fainness
unfeigning
feigningly
fainaigue

Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰeyǵʰ- →

feign — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer