Where does “farfader” come from?
farfader (Swedish) comes from Swedish fader, from Old Swedish faþir, from Old Norse faðir, from Proto-Germanic fadēr, from Proto-Indo-European ph₂tḗr, from Proto-Indo-European peh₂- — to protect; to shepherd.
Ancestry of “farfader”, step by step
farfader traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish fader
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | fader | a father; a term of address for a Christian... |
| 2 | Old Swedish | faþir | father |
| 3 | Old Norse | faðir | father |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | fadēr | father |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ph₂tḗr | father |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | peh₂- | to protect; to shepherd |
via Swedish får
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | får | a sheep; a sheep, a follower; an idiot |
| 2 | Old Swedish | fār | sheep |
| 3 | Old Norse | fár | few; bale, harm, mischief, anger; dangerous... |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | farą | a means of passing, ford, ferry |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |