English
ferry
Ferry comes from Middle English ferien ‘to carry, convey’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *per-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-root as named
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*farjaną‘to take somewhere, to carry, to ferry’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*farjan‘to take somewhere, to carry, to ferry’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ferian‘to take, move, carry’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ferien‘to carry, convey’
- Englishearliest quotation 1644ferry
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-root as named
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*farjaną‘to take somewhere, to carry, to ferry’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*farjan‘to take somewhere, to carry, to ferry’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150ferian‘to take, move, carry’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500ferien‘to carry, convey’
- Englishearliest quotation 1644ferry
Earliest quotation: 1644, John Milton, London: [s.n.]: “It can pass the ferry backward into light.”
The story
The verb is from Middle English ferien (‘to carry, convey’), from Old English ferian, from Proto-West Germanic *farjan, from Proto-Germanic *farjaną, which see for cognates. This verb is the causative of Proto-Germanic *faraną (‘to go, travel’), whence English fare; ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *per-.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *per-
first, before, support, far, report, price, private, press, further, practice, per, opportunity, pre, prior, prime, appreciate, port, primary, fear, prize, afford, pregnant, ford, practical, forth, precious, praise, privilege, parade, par, interpretation, pirate, fare, porch, pardon, primitive, prix, pragmatic, privy, prism, 158 more
Today it means
verb To carry; transport; convey.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / ferry