Where does “phony” come from?
Phony comes from English fawney, Irish fáinne, Old Irish áinne, Proto-Celtic ānniyos, and Proto-Indo-European h₁eh₂n-, originally meaning ring.
phony (English): Fraudulent; fake; having a misleading appearance;...
Definitions
- Fraudulent; fake; having a misleading appearance;...
Ancestry of “phony”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Irish | fáinne | ring; circle; ringlet, curl |
| 2 | Old Irish | áinne | — |
| 3 | Proto-Celtic | ānniyos | ring |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁eh₂n- | ring |
Words derived from “phony”