Etymograph

English

forthfather

Forthfather comes from Old English forþfæder ‘forefather, ancestor’, from fæder ‘father’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ph₂tḗr‘father’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fadēr‘father’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fader‘father’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150fæder‘father’
  5. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150forþfæder‘forefather, ancestor’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forthfader
  7. Englishtodayforthfather

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ph₂tḗr‘father’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fadēr‘father’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*fader‘father’reconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150fæder‘father’
  5. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150forþfæder‘forefather, ancestor’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forthfader
  7. Englishtodayforthfather

Formed from forth- + father

Proto-Indo-European *prto-

Proto-Germanic *furþą ‘forth, forward’

Proto-West Germanic *forþ ‘forward’

English forth-

Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr

Proto-Germanic *fadēr

Proto-West Germanic *fader

Old English fæder

Middle English fader ‘a father’

English father

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- ‘to protect, shepherd’

company, food, pain, feed, pope, apparent, companion, fur, foster, pastor, penetration, papal, pasture, accompaniment, fad, fodder, forage, panini, patrician, pav, pantaloons, patroness, pannier, 57 more

through Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr ‘father’

pattern, papa, patriot, patron, padre, ayr, paternal, paternity, perpetrator, patrimony, père, perpetrate, pater, compere, 21 more

through Proto-Germanic *fadēr ‘father’

fatherly, 2 more

Today it means

noun Forefather.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ph₂tḗr / forthfather

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