Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. A small horse with a smooth, ambling gait,...

Ancestry of “palfrey”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishpalfreypalfrey
2Anglo-Normanpalefreisteed; palfrey
3Old Frenchpalefroi—
4Late Latinparavereduspost horse, spare horse; An extra horse; post...
5Ancient Greekπαρά
6Latinverēdus—
7Gaulishwerēdoshorse
8Proto-Celtic*uɸoreidos—

Words derived from “palfrey”

  • palfreyed
Every word from Proto-Celtic *uɸoreidos →