Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “founder” come from?

Founder comes from Middle French fondeur, derived from Latin fundus meaning "bottom" or "foundation," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰew-.

founder (English): One who founds or establishes; Someone for whose...

Definitions

  1. One who founds or establishes; Someone for whose...

Ancestry of “founder”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchfondeurfounder
2Latinfundatorfounder; second-person singular future passive...
3Latinfundō—
4Latinfundusbottom; farm; piece of land; estate; ground
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰudʰmḗnbottom
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewbʰ-deep
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

Words derived from “founder”

  • cofounder
  • foundress
  • brassfounder
  • founderous
  • foundership
  • bronzefounder
  • founderess
  • foundereth
  • founderitis
  • refoundress
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂- →