furnish

furnish · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*promo-“front, forward”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*frumjaną“to further, promote”
3. Frankish · derived from*frumjan“to complete, execute”
4. Germanic · derived from
5. Old French · derived fromfurniss-
6. Middle English · inherited fromfurnysshen
7. English todayfurnish

From Middle English furnysshen, from Old French furniss-, stem of certain parts of furnir, fornir (Modern French fournir), from Germanic, from Frankish *frumjan (“to complete, execute”), from Proto-Germanic *frumjaną (“to further, promote”), from Proto-Indo-European *promo- (“front, forward”). Cognate with Old High German frumjan (“to perform, provide”), Old High German fruma (“utility, gain”), Old English fremu (“profit, advantage”), Old English fremian (“to promote, perform”). More at frame, frim.

Furnish · proper noun²

English surname, variant of Furness. Also a variant of Furneaux, Furnace.

Words from the same roots