Where does “palfrey” come from?
Palfrey comes from Middle English palfrey, borrowed from Anglo-Norman palefrei and Old French palefroi, which derive from Late Latin paraveredus, a compound of Ancient Greek παρά (para-, "beside") and Gaulish werēdos ("horse"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- and Proto-Celtic uɸo-.
palfrey (English): A small horse with a smooth, ambling gait,...
Definitions
- A small horse with a smooth, ambling gait,...
Ancestry of “palfrey”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | palfrey | palfrey |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | palefrei | steed; palfrey |
| 3 | Old French | palefroi | — |
| 4 | Late Latin | paraveredus | post horse, spare horse; An extra horse; post... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | παρά | |
| 6 | Latin | verēdus | A fast or light breed of horse; courier's horse; hunter |
| 7 | Gaulish | werēdos | horse |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | *uɸoreidos | horse |