Etymograph

English

fief

Fief comes from Old French fief, from Frankish *fehu ‘cattle, livestock’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peku-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peku-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fehu‘cattle, sheep’reconstructed
  3. Frankishc. 250–700same form‘cattle, livestock’reconstructed
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500fevum
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400fief
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1673same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peku-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fehu‘cattle, sheep’reconstructed
  3. Frankishc. 250–700same form‘cattle, livestock’reconstructed
  4. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500fevum
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400fief
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  7. Englishearliest quotation 1673same form

Earliest quotation: 1673, Randle Cotgrave, Fief: “Fief: m[asculine] A Fief. A (Knights) fee, a Mannor,…”

Linked words

through Proto-Germanic *fehu ‘cattle, sheep’

fee, feudal, 3 more

through Frankish *fehu ‘cattle, livestock’

feud, feu, 4 more

Today it means

noun Land held of a superior, particularly on condition of homage, fealty, and personal service, especially military service.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peku- / fief

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