Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “fole” come from?

fole (Middle English) comes from Old French fol, from Latin follis, from Proto-Indo-European bʰelǵʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.

fole (Middle English): A fool, idiot, or moron; somebody who is stupid...

Definitions

  1. A fool, idiot, or moron; somebody who is stupid...

Ancestry of “fole”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchfolmad; insane; foolish; silly
2Latinfollisbellows; purse, sack, money bag; a small value...
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰelǵʰ-to swell
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “fole”

  • fool
  • foolish
  • foolishly
  • fooling
  • foal
  • foolproof
  • foolishest
  • tomfool
  • damnfool
  • fooler
  • foolest
  • foolometer
  • fooleth
  • unfool
  • unfoolable
  • foolable
  • unfoolish
  • foolhood
  • tomfoolish
  • foalish
  • outfool
  • fooldom
  • foolproofness
  • foolproofly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →