Where does “forefather” come from?
Forefather comes from Middle English forefader, from Old English fōrefæder, a compound of "fore" (before) and "fæder" (father).
forefather (English): Ancestor; Cultural ancestor; one who originated...
Definitions
- Ancestor; Cultural ancestor; one who originated...
Ancestry of “forefather”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | forefader | — |
| 2 | Old English | forefæder | — |
| 3 | Old English | fæder | father |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | fader | father |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fadēr | father |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₂tḗr | father |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂- | to protect; to shepherd |