fidel
/fɪˈdɛl/
adjective
Origin
Latin
fidēlis — faithful, trustworthy
Overview
Meaning Now
- Faithful; loyal; showing steadfastness in duty or affection.
Literal older meaning
faithful
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
fidel
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The word stems from the Latin 'fides' (faith/trust). While 'fidel' was used in Middle English, it was largely superseded by the derived form 'faithful' or the borrowing 'fidel' in specific contexts such as musicology or historical nomenclature.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*bheidh-
“to trust, to be loyal”
- Latin
fidēlis
“faithful, trustworthy”
- Old French
fidele
“loyal”
- Middle English
fidel
“faithful”
Connections
Word parts
fid-
root
trust, faith
-el
suffix
adjectival suffix
Related across languages
French
fidèle
faithful
Spanish
fiel
faithful
Italian
fedele
faithful
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Related to fidel
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.