Etymograph

English

fierté

Fierté comes from French fierté ‘pride, self-esteem’, from Latin feritās ‘savagery, brutality, ferocity’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰweh₁r-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰweh₁r-reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEferus‘savage’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEferitāsas feritātem‘savagery, brutality, ferocity’
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentfier
  5. French, derivedc. 1600–presentfierté‘pride, self-esteem’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1751same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰweh₁r-reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEferus‘savage’
  3. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEferitāsas feritātem‘savagery, brutality, ferocity’
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentfier
  5. French, derivedc. 1600–presentfierté‘pride, self-esteem’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1751same form

Earliest quotation: 1751, Tobias Smollett, The Adventures of Peregrine Pickle […]: “[H]e understood that Godfrey's fiertè had proceeded from the…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰweh₁r-

fiercely, fierceness, 4 more

through Latin ferus ‘savage’

zebra, fierce, ferocity, 7 more

Today it means

noun Pride, high self-esteem.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰweh₁r- / fierté

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