Where does “feud” come from?
Feud comes from Middle English fede, from Old French faide, from Medieval Latin faida, from Proto-West Germanic faihiþu, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European peyḱ- meaning to push or strike.
feud (English): A state of long-standing mutual hostility; A...
Definitions
- A state of long-standing mutual hostility; A...
Ancestry of “feud”, step by step
feud traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English fede
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fede | A severe hate or antipathy |
| 2 | Old French | faide | the right of the family or friends of a murdered... |
| 3 | Medieval Latin | faida | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | faihiþu | enmity, hostility; feud |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | -iþu | Forms abstract nouns from verbs, adjectives or... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -iþō | -ness, -th |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iteh₂ | -th |