English
fellow
Fellow comes from Old English fēolaga ‘companion’, from Old Norse félagi, from félag ‘partnership’, from fé ‘livestock, property’ + lag.
- Old Norsec. 800–1350félag‘fellowship, partnership’literally ‘a laying together of property’
- Old Norse, derivedc. 800–1350félagi‘companion’
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fēolaga‘companion, partner’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500felawe‘companion, good friend’
- Englishearliest quotation 1535fellow
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Old Norsec. 800–1350félag‘fellowship, partnership’literally ‘a laying together of property’
- Old Norse, derivedc. 800–1350félagi‘companion’
- Old Englishc. 450–1150fēolaga‘companion, partner’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500felawe‘companion, good friend’
- Englishearliest quotation 1535fellow
Earliest quotation: 1535, Myles Coverdale: “If thou be for his profit, he vſeth the:…”
The story
From Middle English felawe, felowe (‘companion, good friend’) from Old English fēolaga, from Old Norse félagi, derived from félag (“joint venture; partnership”, literally “a laying together of property”), from fé (‘livestock, property; money’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- (‘livestock; wealth’)) + lag (‘something laid down; right position; arrangement; companionship, fellowship; partnership’) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- (‘to lie down’)).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *legʰ- ‘to lie down’
law, legal, college, lie, lawyer, low, lay, layer, legacy, log, loyalty, loyal, colleague, delegation, litter, delegate, lex, ledger, ledge, lawless, collegiate, lair, lees, legate, leaguer, lig, leal, underlay, lagan, lias, collegium, 21 more
through Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- ‘livestock’
fight, fee, peculiar, fax, cynical, hound, feud, fawn, poodle, cynic, pec, fain, pecuniary, feu, chenille, 26 more
Today it means
noun A companion; a comrade.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old Norse félag / fellow