Etymograph

English

Fabian

Fabian comes from Latin Fabiānus ‘belonging to Fabius’, from Fabius ‘of or pertaining to the gens Fabia’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *fabā ‘fava bean’.

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fabā‘fava bean’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaba‘bean’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEFabius‘of or pertaining to the gens Fabia’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEFabiānus‘belonging to Fabius’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1988Fabian

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fabā‘fava bean’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaba‘bean’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEFabius‘of or pertaining to the gens Fabia’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEFabiānus‘belonging to Fabius’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1988Fabian

Earliest quotation: 1988, James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom: “Hood complained behind his commander's back to Richmond of…”

Linked words

through Latin faba ‘bean’

fava, 6 more

Today it means

adj Pertaining to or reminiscent of Roman general Fabius Maximus, whose tactics against Hannibal during the Second Punic War famously consisted of delaying or avoiding combat, focusing instead on weakening the enemy by cutting off supply lines.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Italic *fabā / Fabian

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