feather
/ˈfɛðər/
noun
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*pet- — to fly, to fall
Overview
Meaning Now
- One of the light, horny epidermal outgrowths that form the external covering of the body of birds.
- A thing that is light or delicate, especially a small mark or detail.
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
feðer
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
The word belongs to a large family of words derived from the PIE root *pet- relating to flight, which also gives rise to words like 'petition', 'propel', and 'pennant' (through Latin 'penna').
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*pet-tra-
“feather, wing”
- Proto-Germanic
*fethrō
“feather, wing”
- Old English
feðer
“feather, wing”
- Middle English
fether
“feather”
- Modern English
feather
“feather”
Connections
Word parts
feather
root
feather
Related across languages
Old High German
fedara
feather
Old Norse
fjöðr
feather
Greek
pteron
wing/feather
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.