Where does “cæf” come from?

cæf (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic kafą, from Proto-Indo-European ǵebʰ- — jaw, mouth; to eat, chew; branch.

Ancestry of “cæf”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanickafąchaff
2Proto-Indo-Europeanǵebʰ-jaw, mouth; to eat, chew; branch
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ǵebʰ-Every word from Proto-Germanic kafą
cæf — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer