Where does “fleece” come from?
Fleece comes from Middle English flees, derived from Old French -esse, which traces back through Ancient Greek -ισσα to Proto-Indo-European plews- and -iskos.
fleece (English): Hair or wool of a sheep or similar animal;...
Definitions
- Hair or wool of a sheep or similar animal;...
Ancestry of “fleece”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fles | — |
| 2 | Old English | flēos | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | fleus | fleece |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | fleusaz | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | plews- | to pluck, a feather, fleece; to pull out, pluck |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | plúsis | flea |
Words derived from “fleece”