Where does “fee” come from?
fee (Middle English) comes from Old French fieu, from Medieval Latin fevum, from Latin feudum, from Frankish fehu, from Proto-Germanic fehu, from Proto-Indo-European péḱu, from Proto-Indo-European peḱ- — to pluck; livestock; wealth.
fee (Middle English): Alternative form of fey
Definitions
- Alternative form of fey
Ancestry of “fee”, step by step
fee traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French fieu
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | fieu | fief |
| 2 | Medieval Latin | fevum | fief, fee |
| 3 | Latin | feudum | A fief, fee |
| 4 | Frankish | fehu | livestock, cattle; cattle, owndom, property, fee;... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fehu | livestock, cattle; property; name of the F-rune |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | péḱu | livestock |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | peḱ- | to pluck; livestock; wealth |
via Old English feoh
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | feoh | money; livestock, cattle; property |