English
fighter
Fighter comes from Middle English fightere ‘a soldier or combatant’, from Old English feohtere ‘fighter, warrior’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- ‘to pluck, ruffle, tousle, shear’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peḱ-‘to pluck, ruffle, tousle, shear’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fehtaną‘to struggle (with), fight’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fehtan‘to fight’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150feohtan‘to fight’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150feohtere‘fighter, warrior’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fightere‘a soldier or combatant’
- Englishearliest quotation 1990fighter
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*peḱ-‘to pluck, ruffle, tousle, shear’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fehtaną‘to struggle (with), fight’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fehtan‘to fight’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150feohtan‘to fight’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150feohtere‘fighter, warrior’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fightere‘a soldier or combatant’
- Englishearliest quotation 1990fighter
Earliest quotation: 1990, Dan Simmons, The Fall of Hyperion: “Task Force 42 consisted of almost two dozen main…”
Formed from fight + -er
Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- ‘to comb’
Proto-Germanic *fehtaną ‘to comb’
Proto-West Germanic *fehtan ‘to fight’
Old English feohtan ‘to fight’
Middle English fighten ‘to fight’
English fight
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- ‘to pluck, ruffle, tousle, shear’
fellow, fee, peculiar, fax, feud, cynical, hound, fawn, poodle, cynic, feu, pec, fain, pecuniary, chenille, 26 more
Today it means
noun A person who fights; a combatant.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *peḱ- / fighter