Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “faire” come from?

faire (Middle English) comes from Old English fæger, from Proto-Germanic *fagr, from Proto-Germanic fagraz, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂ḱ- — to fasten, place.

faire (Middle English): fair; handsome; beautiful; attractive

Definitions

  1. fair; handsome; beautiful; attractive

Ancestry of “faire”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishfægerbeautiful; pleasant; beauty
2Proto-Germanic*fagr—
3Proto-Germanicfagrazsuitable, fitting, appropriate, nice
4Proto-Indo-Europeanph₂ḱ-to fasten, place

Words derived from “faire”

  • fairnesse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ph₂ḱ- →