Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “ferret” come from?

Ferret derives from Italian fioretto, diminutive of fiore from Latin florem, accusative of flos meaning flower, from Proto-Indo-European bʰleh₃-.

ferret (English): An often domesticated mammal rather like a...

Definitions

  1. An often domesticated mammal rather like a...

Ancestry of “ferret”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1ItalianfiorettoSsall, devotional sacrifice; good deed; foil
2Italianfioreflower, bloom, blossom; surface; pl clubs
3Latinflōrem—
4Latinflōs—
5Proto-Italicflōsflower, blossom
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-sflower, blossom
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰleh₃-bloom, flower
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “ferret”

  • ferrety
  • ferretlike
  • ferreter
  • フェレット
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →