Where does “*elfare” come from?
*elfare (Middle English) comes from Middle English fare, from Old English fær, from Proto-West Germanic *far, from Proto-Germanic farą, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “*elfare”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fare | journey, going |
| 2 | Old English | fær | sudden danger, calamity; sudden attack; ambush; a... |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *far | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | farą | a means of passing, ford, ferry |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |