Where does “fiend” come from?

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

fiend (Middle English): Alternative form of feend

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of feend

Ancestry of “fiend”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishfēondenemy; adversary, foe, enemy, fiend, devil,...
2Proto-Germanic*fijand—
3Proto-Germanicfijandzenemy, fiend
4Proto-Germanicfijānąto hate; to dislike
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₁-to hate, hurt
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₁- →