Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “spider-fear” come from?

spider-fear (English) comes from English fear, from Middle English fere, from Old English fēre, from Proto-Germanic fēriz, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.

spider-fear (English): The fear of spiders; arachnophobia

Definitions

  1. The fear of spiders; arachnophobia

Ancestry of “spider-fear”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishfearA strong, uncontrollable, unpleasant emotion or...
2Middle Englishfere—
3Old Englishfēreable to go, fit for service
4Proto-Germanicfērizcrossing, able to cross
5Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →