fasel

The story

1. Old English · derived fromfæs“fringe”
2. Middle English · derived fromfas“fringe”
3. Middle English · inherited fromfaselen“to fray”
4. English todayfasel

From Middle English faselen (“to fray”), from fasel (“frayed”, adjective) and fasel (“a frayed edge or border, fringe”, noun), probably a diminutive of Middle English fas (“fringe”), from Old English fæs (“fringe”). Compare Dutch vezel (“fibre, filament”), German faseln (“to ravel out, ramble”). Doublet of pizzle.

Words from the same roots