Etymograph

English

fescue

Fescue comes from Old French festu, and goes back to Latin festūca ‘stalk, stem, straw’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfestūca‘stalk, stem, straw’
  2. Late Latinc. 200–600 CE*festūcumreconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400festu
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘a mote in the eye’
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1610sfescue

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfestūca‘stalk, stem, straw’
  2. Late Latinc. 200–600 CE*festūcumreconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400festu
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘a mote in the eye’
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1610sfescue

Earliest quotation: c. 1610s, Homer, The Crowne of all Homers Workes: Batrachomyomachia: “with thy golden fescue play'dst upon Thy hollow harp”.

Every English word from Latin festūca

Today it means

noun A straw, wire, stick, etc., used chiefly to point out letters to children when learning to read.

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

Etymograph / Latin festūca / fescue

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