Etymograph

English

fear

Fear comes from Old English fǣr ‘calamity, sudden danger, peril, sudden attack,…’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to go through, carry forth, try’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to go through’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fērō‘danger’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150fǣr‘calamity’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500feer
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1485fear

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to go through’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fērō‘danger’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150fǣr‘calamity’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500feer
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1485fear

Earliest quotation: 1485, Sir Thomas Malory: “Thenne the knyghte sayd to syre Gawayn / bynde…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to go through, carry forth, try’

first, before, support, per, report, further, price, private, press, practice, far, opportunity, pre, prior, prime, appreciate, port, primary, prize, afford, pregnant, ford, practical, forth, precious, praise, interpretation, privilege, pirate, parade, porch, primitive, prix, ferry, par, fare, interpreter, pardon, pragmatic, privy, 157 more

through Proto-Germanic *fērō ‘danger’

ferd, 1 more

Another origin of fear

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to put across, ferry’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fēriz‘passable’reconstructed
  3. Old Englishc. 450–1150fēre‘able to go, fit for service’
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fere
  5. Englishtodayfear

Today it means

noun A strong, unpleasant emotion or feeling caused by actual or perceived danger or threat.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / fear

Shirt and support for this word