Where does “fourbe” come from?

fourbe (English) comes from French fourbe, from French fourbir, from Middle French fourbir, from Old French forbir, from Frankish furbēn, from Proto-Indo-European prep- — to appear, to be visible.

fourbe (English): A tricky fellow; a cheat

Definitions

  1. A tricky fellow; a cheat

Ancestry of “fourbe”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchfourbeguile, deception; double-dealer, swindler;...
2Frenchfourbirto furbish, burnish
3Middle Frenchfourbir—
4Old Frenchforbirto clean; to polish
5Frankishfurbēnto clean, polish; to clean
6Proto-Indo-Europeanprep-to appear, to be visible
Every word from Proto-Indo-European prep- →Every word from Frankish furbēn →Every word from Old French forbir →