Where does “forefeet” come from?

Forefeet comes from Middle English forefet, a compound of fore- and fet, the plural of foot.

forefeet (English): plural of forefoot

Definitions

  1. plural of forefoot

Ancestry of “forefeet”, step by step

forefeet traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via English Fore

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishForeA people of Papua New Guinea
2GermanFahr
3GermanFähreferry
4Middle High Germanverren
5Old High Germanferranafrom afar
6Old High Germanferroafar; skipper
7Proto-West Germanic*ferrō
8Proto-Germanicferraifar, distant
9Proto-Indo-Europeanper-nóy
10Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

via English feet

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishfeetplural of foot; Fact; performance; feat
2Middle Englishfeetplural of fot
3Old Englishfēt
4Proto-Germanicfōtiz
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpódes
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpṓdsfoot
7Proto-Indo-Europeanpódsfoot
8Proto-Indo-Europeanped-to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall

via Middle English forefet

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishforefet
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tósEvery word from Proto-Indo-European per-Every word from Proto-Indo-European per-nóy
forefeet — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer