Where does “feynt” come from?

feynt (Middle English) comes from Middle English feend, from Old English fēond, from Proto-Germanic *fijand, from Proto-Germanic fijandz, from Proto-Germanic fijāną, from Proto-Indo-European peh₁- — to hate, hurt.

feynt (Middle English): Alternative form of feend; weak; feeble

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of feend; weak; feeble

Ancestry of “feynt”, step by step

feynt traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English feend

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishfeendA enemy, foe or fiend; Satan, the Devil; A demon,...
2Old Englishfēondenemy; adversary, foe, enemy, fiend, devil,...
3Proto-Germanic*fijand—
4Proto-Germanicfijandzenemy, fiend
5Proto-Germanicfijānąto hate; to dislike
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₁-to hate, hurt

via Old French feint

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchfeintfeigned; negligent; sluggish
2Latinfictusfeigned, fictitious, false, counterfeit, having...
3Latinfīgere—
4Proto-Indo-Europeandʰēygʷ-to stick into, pierce

via Old French faint

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchfaint—
2Old Frenchfeindreto feign
3Latinfingeresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
4Proto-Indo-Europeandʰeyǵʰ-to knead; to form, to shape
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₁- →