Where does “fief” come from?
fief (Old French) comes from Latin fevum, from Latin feudum, from Frankish fehu, from Proto-Germanic fehu, from Proto-Indo-European péḱu, from Proto-Indo-European peḱ- — to pluck; livestock; wealth.
fief (Old French): estate held by a person on condition of providing...
Definitions
- estate held by a person on condition of providing...
Ancestry of “fief”, step by step
fief traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Latin fevum
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | fevum | fief, fee |
| 2 | Latin | feudum | A fief, fee |
| 3 | Frankish | fehu | livestock, cattle; cattle, owndom, property, fee;... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | fehu | livestock, cattle; property; name of the F-rune |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | péḱu | livestock |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | peḱ- | to pluck; livestock; wealth |
via Medieval Latin fevum
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medieval Latin | fevum | fief, fee |