Where does “fain” come from?
fain (Norman) comes from Old French foin, from Old French fein, from Latin faenum, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁(y)- — to suckle, nurse.
fain (Norman): hay
Ancestry of “fain”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | foin | hay |
| 2 | Old French | fein | hay |
| 3 | Latin | faenum | hay; any dried plant; fenugreek |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁(y)- | to suckle, nurse |