Etymograph

English

veneer

Veneer comes from German furnieren ‘to inlay, cover with a veneer’, from French fournir ‘to furnish, accomplish’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pr-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fram‘from’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frumjaną‘to further, promote’reconstructed
  4. Frankishc. 250–700frumjan‘to provide’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400fornir‘to furnish’
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentfournir‘to furnish, accomplish’
  8. Germanc. 1650–presentfurnieren‘to inlay, cover with a veneer’
  9. German, derivedc. 1650–presentFurnier
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1847veneer

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr-reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*fram‘from’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frumjaną‘to further, promote’reconstructed
  4. Frankishc. 250–700frumjan‘to provide’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400fornir‘to furnish’
  6. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentfournir‘to furnish, accomplish’
  8. Germanc. 1650–presentfurnieren‘to inlay, cover with a veneer’
  9. German, derivedc. 1650–presentFurnier
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1847veneer

Earliest quotation: 1847, Alfred Tennyson, Prologue: “[O]ne / Discuss'd his tutor, rough to common men…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pr-

former, foremost, frum, 1 more

through Proto-Germanic *fram ‘from’

from, fro

through Proto-Germanic *frumjaną ‘to further, promote’

perform, 1 more

through Frankish frumjan ‘to provide’

furnish, 1 more

Today it means

noun A thin decorative covering of fine material (usually wood) applied to coarser wood or other material.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pr- / veneer

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