English
fair
Fair comes from Middle English fayr ‘beautiful, handsome, attractive’, from Proto-Germanic *fagraz ‘appropriate, fitting, nice, suitable’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ḱ- ‘to attach, join’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₂ḱ-‘to attach’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fagraz‘appropriate’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fagr‘beautiful’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fæġer‘beautiful’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fayr‘beautiful’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1592fair
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peh₂ḱ-‘to attach’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fagraz‘appropriate’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fagr‘beautiful’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fæġer‘beautiful’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fayr‘beautiful’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1592fair
Earliest quotation: c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew: “Now, fair befall thee, good Petruchio!”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ḱ- ‘to attach, join’
peace, pace, pact, repay, pax, pacifist, fang, fay, gaffe, pacifism, pogue, 8 more
through Middle English fayr ‘beautiful, handsome, attractive’
Another origin of fair
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁-‘to do’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰéh₁s‘god, godhead, deity’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰéh₁s-yo-sreconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fēziāsreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfēriae
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400foire‘celebration’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500feyre‘a fair or market’
- Englishtodayfair
Today it means
adj Beautiful, of a pleasing appearance, with a pure and fresh quality.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peh₂ḱ- / fair