Etymology — The origins of English words

forecaution

Origin

From fore- + caution. First attested in 1662.

forgather

Origin

From Scots forgather, foregather (“to gather up, assemble”), equivalent to for- + gather. Cognate with Dutch vergaderen (“to assemble”), German vergattern (“to assemble; to assign duty”).

firstcomer

Origin

From first + comer.

fitchew

Origin

Rare spelling variant of Fitzhugh.

filibusterer

Origin

From filibuster + -er.

fleshly

Origin

From Middle English fleschly, from Old English flǣsċlīċ; equivalent to flesh + -ly.

forsay

Origin

From Middle English forsayen (“to renounce”), from Old English forseċġan (“to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on”), equivalent to for- + say. Cognate Dutch verzeggen (“to deny, forbid”), German Low German verseggen (“to refuse, deny”), German versagen (“to refuse, deny”), Swedish försäga (“to misspeak, say too much”). More at for-, say.

foreview

Origin

From fore- + view.

folkishness

Origin

From folkish + -ness.

forfend

Origin

From Middle English forfenden (“to ward off, protect, prohibit”), equivalent to for- + fend.

flite

Origin

From Middle English flit, from Old English flit, ġeflit (“strife, contention”), from Proto-West Germanic *flit. The Old English term had a short vowel, so the modern term must have had its vowel leveled in from the verb at some point in its history. Cognate with Scots flyte (“scolding, chiding, reproof”), Saterland Frisian Fliet (“zeal, diligence”), Dutch vlijt (“zeal, diligence”), German Low German Fliet (“zeal, diligence”), German Fleiß (“zeal, diligence”), Danish flid (“zeal, diligence”), Swedish flit (“zeal, diligence”).

finishedness

Origin

From finished + -ness.

filcher

Origin

From filch + -er.

flatcar

Origin

From flat + car.

fragmentize

Origin

From fragment + -ize.

forby

Origin

From Middle English forby, forbi, of Middle Low German or North Germanic origin, equivalent to fore- + by. Compare Saterland Frisian foarbie (“beyond, past”), West Frisian foarby (“over, beyond, past”), Dutch voorbij (“beyond, past”), Low German vörbi, vörbie (“over, up, gone, finished, past”), German vorbei (“over, gone, past”), Danish forbi, Swedish förbi. More at fore, by.

freestone

Origin

From free + stone.

frailsome

Origin

From frail + -some.

fico

Origin

From Italian fico (“a fig”), from Latin fīcus. Doublet of fig.

frailness

Origin

From frail + -ness. Piecewise doublet of fragileness.

finical

Origin

University slang, probably from fine.

flightling

Origin

From flight (“fleeing”) + -ling. Cognate with West Frisian flechtling (“refugee”), Dutch vluchteling (“refugee”), German Low German Flüchtling (“refugee”), German Flüchtling (“refugee”). Compare also Danish flygtning (“refugee”), Swedish flykting (“refugee”), Norwegian flyktning (“refugee”).

flanigan

Origin

Variant of Flanagan.

fricative

Origin

From New Latin fricatīvus, from Latin fricāre (“to rub”).