fever

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*dʰegʷʰ-“to burn”
2. Latin · derived fromfebris“a fever”
3. Old French · derived fromfievre“fever”
4. Old English · inherited fromfefer
5. Middle English · inherited fromfever
6. English todayfever

From Middle English fever, fevere, from Old English fefer, fefor (“fever”) and Old French fievre (“fever”), from Latin febris (“a fever”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰegʷʰ- (“to burn”). Displaced native Old English hriþ (“fever”). Compare also Saterland Frisian Fiewer, German Fieber, Danish feber, Swedish feber.

Words from the same roots