Where does “ferret” come from?
ferret (Middle English) comes from Old French furet, from Old French fuiron, from Latin furō, from Latin fūr, from Proto-Italic fōr, from Proto-Indo-European bʰṓr, from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- — to bear, carry.
Ancestry of “ferret”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | furet | ferret |
| 2 | Old French | fuiron | Weasel, ferret |
| 3 | Latin | furō | — |
| 4 | Latin | fūr | — |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | fōr | thief |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰṓr | thief |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |
Words derived from “ferret”