Where does “hayfever” come from?

hayfever (English) comes from English fever, from Middle English fever, from Old English fefer, from Latin febris, from Proto-Italic *feɣʷris, from Proto-Indo-European dʰegʷʰris, from Proto-Indo-European dʰegʷʰ- — to burn; warm, hot.

hayfever (English): Alternative spelling of hay fever

Definitions

  1. Alternative spelling of hay fever

Ancestry of “hayfever”, step by step

hayfever traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English fever

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfeverA higher than normal body temperature of a person...
2Middle Englishfever—
3Old Englishfefer—
4Latinfebrisfever
5Proto-Italic*feɣʷrisfever
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰegʷʰris—
7Proto-Indo-Europeandʰegʷʰ-to burn; warm, hot

via English hay

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishhayGrass cut and dried for use as animal fodder; Any...
2Middle EnglishhayAlternative form of haye; Alternative form of...
3Old Englishhēhey
4Proto-West Germanic*hiʀ—
5Proto-Germanichīznominative plural masculine of *hiz; these, these...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰegʷʰ- →