fathers
ˈfɑːðərz
noun
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*ph₂tḗr — father
Overview
Meaning Now
- Plural of father; male parents.
- Founders, originators, or ancestors of a group, movement, or nation.
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
fæderas
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The word descends from the common PIE word for father. It is a classic example used in linguistics to illustrate Grimm's Law, which explains why the 'p' in Latin 'pater' corresponds to the 'f' in Germanic 'father'.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*ph₂tḗr
“father”
- Proto-Germanic
*fadēr
“father”
Grimm's Law accounts for the shift of p to f and t to d.
- Old English
fæderas
“fathers”
- Middle English
faderes
“fathers”
- Modern English
fathers
“fathers”
Connections
Word parts
father
root
male parent
-s
ending
plural marker
Related across languages
Latin
pater
father
German
Väter
fathers
Old Norse
feðr
fathers
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Related to fathers
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.