feed

feed · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*peh₂-“to guard, graze, feed”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*fōdijaną“to feed”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*fōdijan
4. Old English · inherited fromfēdan“to feed”
5. Middle English · inherited fromfeden
6. English todayfeed

From Middle English feden, from Old English fēdan (“to feed”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōdijan, from Proto-Germanic *fōdijaną (“to feed”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (“to guard, graze, feed”). Cognate with West Frisian fiede (“to nourish, feed”), Dutch voeden (“to feed”), Danish føde (“to bring forth, feed”), Swedish föda (“to bring forth, feed”), Icelandic fæða (“to feed”), and more distantly with Latin pāscō (“feed, nourish”, verb) through Indo-European. More at food, fodder.

feed · noun²

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*fōdijaną“to feed”
2. Old Norse · derived fromfœða“nourishment, food”
3. Middle English · inherited fromfede
4. English todayfeed

From Middle English fede, fed, from the verb (see above). Alternatively, perhaps from Old Norse fœða (“nourishment, food”), from Proto-Germanic *fōdijaną (“to feed”), whence also Old English fēdan (“to feed”).

feed · verb³

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Words from the same roots