Where does “fer” come from?
fer (Middle English) comes from Old English feorr, from Proto-Germanic ferrai, from Proto-Indo-European per-nóy, from Proto-Indo-European per-, from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós — passed , crossed.
fer (Middle English): Far
Ancestry of “fer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | feorr | far; distant; far back; far; at a distance |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | ferrai | far, distant |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | per-nóy | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |