English
foison
Foison comes from Old French foison ‘much’, from Latin fūsiō ‘a pouring out’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd- ‘to pour’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰewd-‘to pour’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰunédtireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hundō‘to pour out’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfundō‘to pour out’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūsiōas fūsiōnem‘a pouring out’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400foison‘much’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500foisoun‘abundance’
- Englishearliest quotation 1610–1611foison
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰewd-‘to pour’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ǵʰunédtireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*hundō‘to pour out’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfundō‘to pour out’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūsiōas fūsiōnem‘a pouring out’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400foison‘much’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500foisoun‘abundance’
- Englishearliest quotation 1610–1611foison
Earliest quotation: 1610–1611, William Shakespeare, The Tempest: “Gon. […]Treaſon, fellony, / Sword, Pike, Knife, Gun, or…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd- ‘to pour’
yet, refuse, gut, fuse, font, effusive, 38 more
through Proto-Italic *hundō ‘to pour out’
confused, diffusion, foundry, infusion, perfusion, profusion, effusion, fondue, 34 more
through Latin fundō ‘to pour out’
foundation, fundamental, founder, confusion, refund, fusion, funnel, confuse, diffuse, infuse, confound, 45 more
Today it means
noun An abundance, a rich supply of.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰewd- / foison