English

forfight

Forfight comes from Middle English forfighten.

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

Formed from for- + fight

Proto-Indo-European *pro- ‘before, in front of’

Proto-Germanic *fra- ‘off, away’

Proto-West Germanic *fra- ‘forms verbs with the sense of "away from" or…’

English for-

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

Every English word from Middle English forfighten

verb To defend.

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