Where does “forthfeder” come from?

forthfeder (Middle English) comes from Old English forþfæder, from Old English fæder, from Proto-West Germanic fader, from Proto-Germanic fadēr, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗr, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.

Ancestry of “forthfeder”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishforþfæderforefather, ancestor
2Old Englishfæderfather
3Proto-West Germanicfaderfather
4Proto-Germanicfadērfather
5Proto-Indo-Europeanph₂tḗrfather
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂-to protect; to shepherd
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗr →Every word from Proto-Germanic fadēr →