Where does “goodfella” come from?
goodfella (English) comes from English fella, from English fellow, from Middle English felawe, from Old English fēolaga, from Old Norse félagi, from Old Norse félag, from Old Norse fé, from Proto-Germanic fehu — to pluck; livestock; wealth.
goodfella (English): A Mafia gangster
Definitions
- A Mafia gangster
Ancestry of “goodfella”, step by step
goodfella traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English fella
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fella | Pronunciation spelling of fellow; 1997, Donald... |
| 2 | English | fellow | A colleague or partner; A companion; a comrade; A... |
| 3 | Middle English | felawe | A partner, friend, or colleague; one linked with... |
| 4 | Old English | fēolaga | companion, partner, colleague |
| 5 | Old Norse | félagi | one with whom one has joined one's property;... |
| 6 | Old Norse | félag | fellowship, partnership |
| 7 | Old Norse | fé | cattle; livestock; property, money |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | fehu | livestock, cattle; property; name of the F-rune |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | péḱu | livestock |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | peḱ- | to pluck; livestock; wealth |
via English Good
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Good | Plato's metaprinciple of proper systemic function between principles; the fundamental Platonic form which enables knowledge and metacognition, from which other concepts such as truth, justice and virtue derive meaning |
| 2 | Dutch | goed | good; correct, right; all right, fine |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | goet | good |
| 4 | Old Dutch | guot | good |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | gōd | good |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | gudą | invoked one; god, deity |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | gastiz | stranger, guest |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰóstis | stranger, host |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -tis | Derives abstract/action nouns from verb roots |