Where does “fleecy” come from?
Fleecy derives from Middle English fleece with the suffix -y, from Middle French fleece with -ie, from Latin fleece with -ia, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European roots meaning wool or hair.
fleecy (English): Resembling or covered in fleece
Definitions
- Resembling or covered in fleece
Ancestry of “fleecy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fleece | Hair or wool of a sheep or similar animal;... |
| 2 | Middle English | fles | A sheepskin or fleece; the skin of a sheep |
| 3 | Old English | flēos | fleece |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fleus | fleece |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fleusaz | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | plews- | to pluck, a feather, fleece; to pull out, pluck |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | plúsis | flea |