English
feu
Feu comes from Middle French fé ‘fief’, from Frankish *fehu ‘livestock, cattle’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peḱ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peḱ-‘livestock’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*péḱu‘livestock’reconstructed*u-stem of *peḱ-
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fehu‘livestock, cattle’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*fehu‘livestock, cattle’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfeudumas feodum‘a fief, fee’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600fé‘fief’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500feu
- Englishearliest quotation 2001feu
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peḱ-‘livestock’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*péḱu‘livestock’reconstructed*u-stem of *peḱ-
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fehu‘livestock, cattle’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*fehu‘livestock, cattle’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfeudumas feodum‘a fief, fee’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600fé‘fief’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500feu
- Englishearliest quotation 2001feu
Earliest quotation: 2001, Richard Rodger, Property and Trust in the Nineteenth Century”: “But in effect, whereas Heriot's knew that their feuing…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- ‘livestock’
fight, fellow, peculiar, fax, fawn, fain, 25 more
through Proto-Indo-European *péḱu ‘livestock’
cynical, hound, poodle, cynic, pec, pecuniary, chenille, 12 more
through Proto-Germanic *fehu ‘livestock, cattle’
through Frankish *fehu ‘livestock, cattle’
through Latin feudum ‘a fief, fee’
Today it means
noun Land held in feudal tenure.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- / feu