Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fess” come from?

Fess comes from Old French fesse, from Latin fascia meaning "band" or "stripe," ultimately from the prefix con- combined with Latin roots meaning "to acknowledge."

fess (English): To confess; to admit; A horizontal band across...

Definitions

  1. To confess; to admit; A horizontal band across...

Ancestry of “fess”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishconfessTo admit to the truth, particularly in the...
2Anglo-Normanconfesserto confess; to promise; to swear
3Old Frenchconfesserto confess; to promise; to swear
4Latincōnfessus—
5Latincōnfiteor—
6Latincōn-—
7Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
8Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
9Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt—
13Germankitt—
14Old High Germankuti—
15Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
16Proto-Germanickweduzresin
17Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
18Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “fess”

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