Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “feohgift” come from?

feohgift (Old English) comes from Old English feoh, from Proto-Germanic fehu, from Proto-Indo-European péḱu, from Proto-Indo-European peḱ- — to pluck; livestock; wealth.

feohgift (Old English): treasure-giving, dispensing of gifts; costly gift

Definitions

  1. treasure-giving, dispensing of gifts; costly gift

Ancestry of “feohgift”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishfeohmoney; livestock, cattle; property
2Proto-Germanicfehulivestock, cattle; property; name of the F-rune
3Proto-Indo-Europeanpéḱulivestock
4Proto-Indo-Europeanpeḱ-to pluck; livestock; wealth
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peḱ- →