Where does “foolhardy” come from?
foolhardy (Middle English) comes from Middle English folehardy, from Old French fol hardi, from Old French hardi, from Old French hardir, from Frankish hardijan, from Proto-Germanic hardijaną, from Proto-Germanic harduz, from Proto-Indo-European kert-.
foolhardy (Middle English): Alternative form of folehardy
Definitions
- Alternative form of folehardy
Ancestry of “foolhardy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | folehardy | Marked by unthinking recklessness with disregard... |
| 2 | Old French | fol hardi | foolishly bold |
| 3 | Old French | hardi | hardy; tough; durable |
| 4 | Old French | hardir | to harden |
| 5 | Frankish | hardijan | to harden, to make hard |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hardijaną | to make hard, strong; to harden |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | harduz | hard; brave |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | kert- | times; to weave, twist together; time |
| 9 | Proto-Turkic | *keŕ- | — |