Where does “fiance” come from?

fiance (Middle French) comes from Old French fiance, from Latin Fidentia, from Latin fīdēns, from Latin fīdō, from Proto-Italic feiðō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéydʰeti, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ- — to compel, force; to trust.

fiance (Middle French): faith; confidence

Definitions

  1. faith; confidence

Ancestry of “fiance”, step by step

fiance traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French fiance

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchfiancefaith; confidence
2LatinFidentiasituated between Parma and Placentia, now Fidenza
3Latinfīdēnstrusting
4Latinfīdōto trust, put confidence in
5Proto-Italicfeiðōto trust
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰéydʰetito trust
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeydʰ-to compel, force; to trust

via Middle French fier

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchfier—

Words derived from “fiance”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeydʰ- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰéydʰeti →Every word from Proto-Italic feiðō →