Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “fēdan” come from?

fēdan (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *fōdijan, from Proto-Germanic fōdijaną, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.

fēdan (Old English): to feed

Definitions

  1. to feed

Ancestry of “fēdan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanic*fōdijan—
2Proto-Germanicfōdijanąto feed; to give birth
3Proto-Indo-Europeanpeh₂-to protect; to shepherd

Words derived from “fēdan”

  • feed
  • feedback
  • feeding
  • breastfeeding
  • biofeedback
  • feedstock
  • feedforward
  • breastfeed
  • feedlot
  • neurofeedback
  • feedeth
  • feedwater
  • infeed
  • overfeed
  • feedthrough
  • feedstuff
  • newsfeed
  • feedest
  • underfeed
  • feedline
  • feedbag
  • feedhorn
  • feedstream
  • nonfeeding
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- →