Etymology dictionary
father-in-law (n.) — federal (adj.)
father-in-law (n.)
late 14c., from father (n.) + in-law.
fatherland (n.)
"one's native country," 1620s, from father (n.) + land (n.). In modern use often a loan-translation of German Vaterland, itself a loan-translation of Latin patria (terra), literally "father's land." Similar formation in Dutch vaderland, Danish fædreland, Swedish fädernesland. Late Old English/Middle English fæderland (c. 1100) meant "parental land, inheritance."
fatherless (adj.)
Old English fæderleas; see father (n.) + -less. Similar formation in Dutch vaderloos, German vaterlos, Danish faderlös.
fatherly (adj.)
Old English fæderlic "fatherly, paternal; ancestral;" see father (n.) + -ly (1). Similar formation in Dutch vaderlijk, German väterlich. Related: Fatherliness.
Father's Day
1910, begun in Spokane, Washington, U.S., but not widespread until 1940s; an imitation of Mother's Day.
fathom (n.)
Old English fæðm "length of the outstretched arms" (a measure of about six feet), also "arms, grasp, embrace," and, figuratively "power," from Proto-Germanic *fathmaz "embrace" (source also of Old Norse faðmr "embrace, bosom," Old Saxon fathmos "the outstretched arms," Dutch vadem "a measure of six feet"), from PIE *pot(ə)-mo-, suffixed form of root *pete- "to spread." It has apparent cognates in Old Frisian fethem, German faden "thread," which OED explains by reference to "spreading out." As a unit of measure, in an early gloss it appears for Latin passus, which was about 5 feet.
fathom (v.)
Old English fæðmian "to embrace, surround, envelop," from a Proto-Germanic verb derived from the source of fathom (n.); cognates: Old High German fademon, Old Norse faþma. The meaning "take soundings" is from c. 1600; its figurative sense of "get to the bottom of, penetrate with the mind, understand" is from 1620s. Related: Fathomed; fathoming.
fathomable (adj.)
1630s, figurative, "capable of being comprehended; that may be sounded by thought;" 1690s, literal, "capable of being sounded by measurement;" from fathom (v.) + -able.
fathomless (adj.)
1630s, literal ("bottomless"); 1640s, figurative ("not to be comprehended"); from fathom + -less.
fatigue (n.)
1660s, "that which causes weariness," from French fatigue "weariness," from fatiguer "to tire" (15c.), from Latin fatigare "to weary, to tire out," originally "to cause to break down," from pre-Latin adjective *fati-agos "driving to the point of breakdown," with first half from Old Latin *fatis, which is of unknown origin but apparently related to affatim (adv.) "sufficiently" and to fatisci "crack, split." The second half is the root of agere "to set in motion, drive; to do, perform" (from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw out or forth, move").
Especially "the labors of military persons" (1776). Meaning "a feeling of weariness from exertion" is from 1719. Of metals or other materials under strain, from 1877.
fatigue (v.)
1690s, from French fatiguer "to tire" (15c.), from fatigue (see fatigue (n.)). Earlier in same sense was fatigate (1530s), from Latin fatigatus, past participle of fatigare. Related: Fatigued; fatiguing; fatigation (c. 1500).
fatigues (n.)
1776, "extra duties of a soldier," from fatigue (n.). As a military clothing outfit, from 1836, short for fatigue dress (1833); fatigue cap is from 1824.
Fatimid
also Fatimite, in reference to the Arab dynasty that ruled 908-1171 in North Africa and sometimes Egypt and Syria, is from Fatima, daughter of Muhammad by his first wife, Khadija; Fatima married Ali, and from them the dynasty claimed descent.
fatling (n.)
"lamb, kid, or other young animal fattened for slaughter," 1520s, from fat (n.) + -ling.
Fatso
nickname for a fat person, by 1944, elaboration of Fats, from fat (adj.).
fattening (adj.)
"that makes fat," 1690s, present-participle adjective from fatten. Earlier word was fatting (1530s).
fatten (v.)
1550s, "to make fat," from fat + -en (1). Intransitive sense from 1630s. Related: Fattened; fattener. The earlier verb was simply fat (v.).
fatty (adj.)
late 14c., from fat + -y (2). As a name for a fat person, attested by 1797 (with -y (3)).
fatuity (n.)
1640s, from French fatuité (14c.), from Latin fatuitatem (nominative fatuitas) "foolishness, folly," from fatuus "foolish, insipid" (see fatuous).
fatuous (adj.)
"foolish, stupid," 1530s, from Latin fatuus "foolish, insipid, silly;" which is of uncertain origin. Buck suggests originally "stricken" in the head. But de Vaan says from Proto-Italic *fatowo- "of speech," from PIE root *bha- (2) "to speak, tell, say."
Related: Fatuously; fatuousness.
fatwa (n.)
1620s, from Arabic fetwa "a decision given by a mufti," related to fata "to instruct by a legal decision." Popularized in English 1989 when Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a ruling sentencing author Salman Rushdie to death for publishing "The Satanic Verses" (1988). This was lifted 1998.
faubourg (n.)
"suburb," late 15c. (early 15c. fabour), from Old French forsbourc, faubourg (12c.) "suburbs, outskirts," literally "that which is outside the town," from fors "outside" (from Latin foris; see foreign) + bourc "town" (a word of Frankish origin cognate with English borough). Altered in French by folk-etymology to faux bourg "false town" (suburbs were seen as inauthentic).
fauces (n.)
"throat, gullet," 1540s, from Latin fauces "throat, gullet." Related: Faucal; faucial.
faucet (n.)
c. 1400, from Old French fausset (14c.) "breach, spigot, stopper, peg (of a barrel)," which is of unknown origin; perhaps diminutive of Latin faux, fauces "upper part of the throat, pharynx, gullet." Not in Watkins, but Barnhart, Gamillscheg, and others suggest the Old French word is from fausser "to damage, break into," from Late Latin falsare (see false).
Spigot and faucet was the name of an old type of tap for a barrel or cask, consisting of a hollow, tapering tube, which was driven at the narrow end into a barrel, and a screw into the tube which regulated the flow of the liquid. Properly, it seems, the spigot was the tube, the faucet the screw, but the senses have merged or reversed over time. OED reports that faucet is now the common word in American English for the whole apparatus.
faugh (interj.)
exclamation of disgust, by 1540s.
fault (n.)
late 13c., faute, "deficiency," from Old French faute, earlier falte, "opening, gap; failure, flaw, blemish; lack, deficiency" (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *fallita "a shortcoming, falling," from Latin falsus "deceptive, feigned, spurious," past participle of fallere "deceive, disappoint" (see fail (v.)).
The -l- was restored 16c., probably in imitation of Latin, but the letter was silent until 18c. Sense of "physical defect" is from early 14c.; that of "moral culpability" (milder than sin or vice, but more serious than an error) is first recorded late 14c. Geological sense is from 1796. The use in tennis (c. 1600) is closer to the etymological sense.
fault (v.)
"find fault with," mid-15c. from fault (n.). Earlier it was used in an intransitive sense of "be deficient" (late 14c., Scottish). Related: Faulted; faulter; faulting.
fault-finding (n.)
1620s, from verbal phrase find fault (with) (late 14c.); see fault (n.) + find (v.). Related: Fault-finder (1560s).
faulty (adj.)
"containing faults, errors, or defects," late 14c., from fault (n.) + -y (2). Related: Faultily; faultiness.
faultless (adj.)
mid-14c., "having no blemishes or imperfections," from fault (n.) + -less. Meaning "having no blame, culpability, or guilt" is from 1570s. Related: Faultlessly; faultlessness.
faun (n.)
"rustic woodland spirit or demigod part human, part goat," late 14c., from Latin Faunus, the name of a god of the countryside, worshipped especially by farmers and shepherds, equivalent of Greek Pan. The faunalia were held in his honor. Formerly somewhat assimilated to satyrs, but they have diverged again lately.
The plural is fauni. The word is of uncertain origin. De Vaan suggests Proto-Italic *fawe/ono-, from a PIE word meaning "favorable," with cognates in Old Irish buan "good, favorable; firm," Middle Wensh bun "maiden, sweetheart."
fauna (n.)
1771, "the total of the animal life of a certain region or time, from Late Latin Fauna, a rustic Roman fertility goddess who was wife, sister, or daughter (or some combination) of Faunus (see faun).
Popularized by Linnaeus, who adopted it as a companion word to flora and used it in the title of his 1746 catalogue of the animals of Sweden, "Fauna Suecica." First used in English by Gilbert White (1720-1793) the parson-naturalist.
faunal (adj.)
"of or pertaining to a fauna," 1840, from fauna + -al (1).
Fauntleroy
in various usages, from the gentle boy hero of Frances Hodgson Burnett's popular novel "Little Lord Fauntleroy" (1885). The family name is recorded from mid-13c., literally "son of the king" (Anglo-French Le Enfant le Roy), from faunt, a Middle English variant of enfaunt (see infant). Middle English had also fauntekin "a little child" (late 14c.).
Faustian (adj.)
1870, in reference to Johann Faust (c. 1485-1541), German wandering astrologer and wizard, who was reputed to have sold his soul to the Devil. Fantastic tales of his life were told as early as the late 16c., and he was the hero of dramas by Marlowe and Goethe. The Latinized form of his name, faustus, means "of favorable omen."
Fauvist
movement in painting associated with Henri Matisse, 1915, from French fauve, "wild beast," a term applied in contempt to these painters by French art critic Louis Vauxcelles at Autumn Salon of 1905. The movement was a reaction against impressionism, featuring vivid use of colors. French fauve (12c.) in Old French meant "fawn-colored horse, dark-colored thing, dull," and is from Frankish *falw- or some other Germanic source, cognate with German falb "dun, pale yellowish-brown" and English fallow "brownish-yellow," from PIE root *pel- (1) "pale." Related: Fauvism (1912).
faux (adj.)
from French faux "false" (12c., see false). Used with English words at least since 1676 (Etheredge, faux-prude). Used by itself, with French pronunciation, from 1980s to mean "fake."
faux pas (n.)
"breach of good manners, any act that compromises one's reputation," 1670s, French, literally "false step." See false and pace (n.).
fava (n.)
type of bean, "broad bean," 1896, from Italian fava, from Latin faba "bean" (see bean (n.)).
fave (n.)
in frequent use in Variety magazine from 1933, a slang shortening of favorite (n.). Later also as an adjective.
Favonius
personification of the west wind in Roman mythology, from Latin Favonius, which de Vaan suggests is cognate with the god-name Faunus (see faun), from a prehistoric noun meaning "who favors" (see favor (n.)):
The Latin word is the source (via Old High German phonno, 10c., via Vulgar Latin contraction *faonius) of German Föhn "warm, dry wind blowing down Alpine valleys." Related: Favonian.
favor (v.)
mid-14c., "to regard with favor, indulge, treat with partiality," from Old French favorer, from favor "a favor, partiality" (see favor (n.)). Meaning "to resemble, look somewhat like" is from c. 1600. Related: Favored; favoring.
favor (n.)
c. 1300, "attractiveness, beauty, charm" (archaic), from Old French favor "a favor; approval, praise; applause; partiality" (13c., Modern French faveur), from Latin favorem (nominative favor) "good will, inclination, partiality, support," coined by Cicero from stem of favere "to show kindness to," from PIE *ghow-e- "to honor, revere, worship" (cognate: Old Norse ga "to heed").
Meaning "good will, kind regard" is from mid-14c. in English; sense of "act of kindness, a kindness done" is from late 14c. Meaning "bias, partiality" is from late 14c. Meaning "thing given as a mark of favor" is from late 15c. Phrase in favor of recorded from 1560s.
favorable (adj.)
late 14c., "kind, friendly," from Old French favorable "well-disposed, favorable, partial," from Latin favorabilis "favored, in favor," from favor "good will, partiality" (see favor (n.)). Meaning "advantageous" is from mid-15c. In Middle English it also meant "attractive, pleasing, agreeable." Related: Favorably.
favored (adj.)
1725, "enjoying unusual advantages," past-participle adjective from favor (v.). In compounds or phrases, "-featured, -looking," from c. 1400 (for example, well-favored "good-looking;" worst-favored "ugliest").
favorite (n.)
"person or thing regarded with especial liking," 1580s, from French favorit, perhaps via Italian favorito, noun use of past participle of favorire, from favore, from Latin favorem "inclination, partiality, support" (see favor (n.)).
Especially, "a person who gains dominant influence over a superior" (1590s). In racing, "one considered most likely to win," attested from 1813. In 17c.-18c. also "small curl hanging loose upon the temple," a frequent feature of a woman's head dress.
As an adjective, "regarded with particular liking, esteem, or preference," by 1711. Favorite son in the figurative sense "noted man who is particularly popular and boasted of in his native area" is by 1788; in U.S. especially "politician considered as the special choice of the people of some state."
As a corresponding noun in the sense of "person who promotes the interests of another," Latin had fautor, hence Old French fauteur, Middle English fautour "an adherent, supporter, follower" (mid-14c.), but it has perished along with its fem. form, fautress.
favoritism (n.)
"disposition to favor one person or family or one class of persons to the neglect of others having equal claims," 1763, from favorite + -ism.
favous (adj.)
"resembling a honeycomb," 1670s, from Latin favus "a honeycomb" + -ous.
favour
chiefly British English spelling of favor (q.v.); for spelling, see -or. Related: Favourite; favouritism.
favourable (adj.)
chiefly British English spelling of favorable; for spelling, see -or. Related: Favourably.
fawn (v.)
Middle English faunen, from Old English fagnian "rejoice, be glad, exult, applaud," from fægen "glad" (see fain); used in Middle English to refer to expressions of delight, especially a dog wagging its tail (early 14c.), hence "court favor, grovel, act slavishly" (early 15c.). Related: Fawned; fawning.
fawn (n.)
"young deer," mid-14c., from Anglo-French (late 13c.), Old French (12c.) faon, feon "young animal," especially "young deer," from Vulgar Latin *fetonem (nominative *feto), from Latin fetus "a bringing forth; an offspring" (from suffixed form of PIE root *dhe(i)- "to suck"). It was used of the young of any animal as recently as King James I's private translation of the Psalms, but the sense has been mainly of deer since 15c. Color use is by 1881.
fawning (adj.)
"cringing, servile," mid-14c., present-participle adjective from fawn (v.). Related: Fawningly.
fawney (n.)
"finger-ring," 1781, colloquial, from Irish fainne "ring."
fax (n.)
1948, in reference to the technology, short for facsimile (telegraphy). Meaning "a facsimile transmission" is by 1980. The verb attested by 1970. Related: Faxed; faxing.
faze (v.)
1830, American English, said to be a variant of Kentish dialect feeze "to frighten, alarm, discomfit" (mid-15c.), from Old English fesian, fysian "drive away, send forth, put to flight," from Proto-Germanic *fausjan (source also of Swedish fösa "drive away," Norwegian föysa). Related: Fazed; fazing. Bartlett (1848) has it as to be in a feeze "in a state of excitement." There also is a nautical verb feaze "to unravel" (a rope), from 1560s.
FBI
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, formed 1935 from the former United States Bureau of Investigation (1908).
FCC
U.S. Federal Communications Commission, formed 1934 from the former Federal Radio Commission.
FDA
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 1930, shortened from Food, Drug, and Insecticide Administration.
feal (v.)
"to hide, conceal," early 14c., a Northern English and Northern Midlands word, from Old Norse fela "to hide," from Proto-Germanic *felhan (source also of Gothic filhan "to hide, bury," Old English feolan "enter, penetrate, pass into").
feal (adj.)
"faithful," 1560s, not found in Middle English but apparently from Old French feal "faithful, loyal, true, sincere," collateral form of feeil, from Latin fidelis "loyal" (see fidelity).
fealty (n.)
c. 1300, feaute, from Old French feauté, earlier fealte, "loyalty, fidelity; homage sworn by a vassal to his overlord; faithfulness," from Latin fidelitatem (nominative fidelitas) "faithfulness, fidelity," from fidelis "loyal, faithful" (from PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade").
fearful (adj.)
mid-14c., "causing fear," from fear (n.) + -ful. Meaning "full of fear, timid" (now less common) also is from mid-14c. As a mere emphatic, from 1630s. Related: Fearfully; fearfulness.
fear (v.)
Old English færan "to terrify, frighten," from a Proto-Germanic verbal form of the root of fear (n.). Cognates: Old Saxon faron "to lie in wait," Middle Dutch vaeren "to fear," Old High German faren "to plot against," Old Norse færa "to taunt."
Originally transitive in English; long obsolete in this sense but somewhat revived in digital gaming via "fear" spells, which matches the old sense "drive away by fear," attested early 15c. Meaning "feel fear" is late 14c. Related: Feared; fearing.
fear (n.)
Middle English fere, from Old English fær "calamity, sudden danger, peril, sudden attack," from Proto-Germanic *feraz "danger" (source also of Old Saxon far "ambush," Old Norse far "harm, distress, deception," Dutch gevaar, German Gefahr "danger"); which according to Watkins is from PIE *pēr-, a lengthened form of the verbal root *per- (3) "to try, risk."
The sense of "state of being afraid, uneasiness caused by possible danger" developed by late 12c. Some Old English words for "fear" as we now use it were fyrhto, fyrhto; as a verb, ondrædan.
The meaning "feeling of dread and reverence for God" is from c. 1400. To put the fear of God (into someone) "intimidate, cause to cower" is by 1888, from the common religious phrase; the extended use was often at first in colonial contexts:
fearless (adj.)
early 15c., from fear (n.) + -less. Related: Fearlessly; fearlessness.
fearsome (adj.)
"causing fear," 1768, from fear (n.) + -some (1). Occasionally used badly in the sense "timid," which ought to stick to fearful. Related: Fearsomely; fearsomeness.
feasance (n.)
"the performance of an obligation," 1530s, from Anglo-French fesance, from Old French faisance "action, deed, enactment," from faisant, present participle of faire "to make, do," from Latin facere "to make, do" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put").
feasible (adj.)
"capable of being done, accomplished or carried out," mid-15c., from Anglo-French faisible, from Old French faisable "possible, that may be done; easy, convenient," from fais-, stem of faire "do, make," from Latin facere "to make, do, perform" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put"). Fowler recommends this word only for those "who feel that the use of an ordinary word for an ordinary notion does not do justice to their vocabulary or sufficiently exhibit their cultivation."
feasibly (adv.)
1640s, from feasible + -ly (2).
feasibility (n.)
feast (n.)
c. 1200, "secular celebration with feasting and entertainment" (often held on a church holiday); c. 1300, "religious anniversary characterized by rejoicing" (rather than fasting), from Old French feste "religious festival, holy day; holiday; market, fair; noise, racket; jest, fun" (12c., Modern French fête), from Vulgar Latin *festa (fem. singular; also source of Italian festa, Spanish fiesta), from Latin festa "holidays, feasts, festal banquets," noun use of neuter plural of festus "festive, joyful, merry," related to feriae "holiday" and fanum "temple," from Proto-Italic *fasno- "temple," from PIE *dhis-no- "divine, holy; consecrated place," suffixed form of PIE root *dhes-, forming words for religious concepts.
The spelling -ea- was used in Middle English to represent the sound we mis-call "long e." Meaning "abundant meal" (whether public or private) is by late 14c. Meaning "any enjoyable occasion or event" is from late 14c.
feast (v.)
c. 1300, "partake of a feast," from Old French fester "to feast, make merry; observe (a holiday)" (Modern French fêter), from feste "religious festival" (see feast (n.)). Related: Feasted; feasting.
feat (n.)
mid-14c., "action, deeds," from Anglo-French fet, from Old French fait "action, deed, achievement" (12c.), from Latin factum "thing done," a noun based on the past participle of facere "to make, to do," from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put." Sense of "exceptional or noble deed" arose c. 1400 from phrase feat of arms (French fait d'armes).
feather (n.)
Old English feðer "a feather; a pen," in plural, "wings," from Proto-Germanic *fethro (source also of Old Saxon fethara, Old Norse fioþr, Swedish fjäder, Middle Dutch vedere, Dutch veder, Old High German fedara, German Feder), from PIE *pet-ra-, from root *pet- "to rush, to fly."
Feather-headed "silly" is from 1640s. Feather-duster attested by 1835. Figurative use of feather in (one's) cap attested by 1734. Birds of a feather "creatures of the same kind" is from 1580s; the same image is in Greek homopteros (variant birds of a beak is from c. 1600).
feather (v.)
Old English fiðerian "to furnish with feathers or wings," from feðer (see feather (n.)). Meaning "to fit (an arrow) with feathers" is from early 13c.; that of "to deck, adorn, or provide with plumage" is from late 15c.
In reference to oars (later paddles, propellers, etc.), "to turn the blades in a horizontal position on lifting them from the water at the end of each stroke," to afford as little resistance as possible, it is attested from 1740, perhaps from the image of the blade turned edgewise, or from the spray of the water as it falls off (compare nautical feather-spray, that produced by the cutwater of a fast vessel). The noun in reference to this is from the verb. Meaning "to cut down to a thin edge" is from 1782, originally in woodworking. Phrase feather one's nest "enrich oneself" is from 1580s. Related: Feathered; feathering.
feather-bed (n.)
Old English feþerbedd; see feather (n.) + bed (n.).
feather-weight (n.)
also featherweight, "lightest weight allowable by rules," 1812 (earlier as simply feather, 1760), from feather (n.) + weight (n.). Originally in horse-racing; boxing use as a specific weight class dates from 1889.
features (n.)
"parts of the visible body" (especially the face), c. 1300, from feature (n.).
feature (v.)
1755, "to resemble, have features resembling," from feature (n.). The sense of "make special display or attraction of" is 1888; entertainment sense from 1897. Related: Featured; featuring.
feature (n.)
early 14c., "make, form, fashion" (obsolete), from Anglo-French feture, from Old French faiture "deed, action; fashion, shape, form; countenance," from Latin factura "a formation, a working," from past participle stem of facere "make, do, perform" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put").
Sense of "facial characteristic" is mid-14c.; that of "any distinctive part" first recorded 1690s. Entertainment sense is from 1801; in journalism by 1855. Meaning "a feature film" is from 1913. Latin factura also is the source of Spanish hechura, Portuguese feitura, Italian fattura.
featureless (adj.)
1816, from feature (n.) + -less.
featurette (n.)
"short feature film," 1942, from feature (n.) in the cinematography sense + -ette.
febicches (pl.n.)
also fibicches, fybicches, febicchis, febucches "contrivances, cheating tricks," late 14c., of unknown origin. Quirk suggests perhaps from Pebichios, name of an old alchemist.
febrifuge (n.)
"medicine that reduces fever," 1680s, from French fébrifuge, literally "driving fever away," from Latin febris (see fever) + fugare "cause to flee, put to flight, drive off, chase away, rout," also used in reference to banishment and exile, derived verb from fuga "flight," from PIE *bhug-a-, suffixed form of root *bheug- (1) "to flee" (see fugitive (adj.)).
febrile (adj.)
1650s, from Medieval Latin febrilis "pertaining to fever," from Latin febris "a fever" (see fever).
February (n.)
month following January, late 14c., ultimately from Latin februarius mensis "month of purification," from februare "to purify," from februa "purifications, expiatory rites" (plural of februum "means of purification, expiatory offerings"), which is of uncertain origin, said to be a Sabine word. De Vaan says from Proto-Italic *f(w)esro-, from a PIE word meaning "the smoking" or "the burning" (thus possibly connected with fume (n.)). The sense then could be either purification by smoke or a burnt offering.
The last month of the ancient (pre-450 B.C.E.) Roman calendar, so named in reference to the Roman feast of purification, held on the ides of the month. The Old English name for it was solmonað, which is said to mean "mud month." English first borrowed the Roman name from Old French Feverier, which yielded Middle English Feverer, Feoverel, etc. (c. 1200) before the 14c. respelling to conform to Latin.
fecal (adj.)
feces (n.)
also faeces, c. 1400, "dregs," from Latin faeces "sediment, dregs," plural of faex (genitive faecis) "grounds, sediment, wine-lees, dregs," which is of unknown origin. Specific sense of "human excrement" is from 1630s in English but is not found in classical Latin. Hence Latin faex populi "the dregs of the people; the lowest class of society."
fecit
carved by workmen in old cathedrals, etc., "(he) made (it)," Latin third person singular perfect indicative of facere "to make" (from PIE root *dhe- "to set, put").
feckless (adj.)
1590s, from feck, "effect, value, vigor" (late 15c.), Scottish shortened form of effect (n.), + -less. Popularized by Carlyle, who left its opposite, feckful, in dialectal obscurity. Related: Fecklessly; fecklessness.
feculent (adj.)
"muddy, turbid, full of dregs or impurities," late 15c., from Latin faeculentus "abounding in dregs," from stem faec- "sediment, dregs" (see feces) + adjective suffix -ulentus "full of." Related: Feculence.
fecund (adj.)
a 16c. Latinizing revision of the spelling of Middle English fecond, fecound (early 15c.), from Old French fecond, fecont "fruitful" and directly from Latin fecundus "fruitful, fertile, productive; rich, abundant," from *fe-kwondo-, suffixed form (adjectival) of PIE root *dhe(i)- "to suck, suckle," with derivatives meaning also "produce, yield."
Also from the same Latin root come felare "to suck;" femina "woman" (literally "she who suckles"); felix "happy, auspicious, fruitful;" fetus "offspring, pregnancy;" fenum "hay" (probably literally "produce"); and probably filia/filius "daughter/son," assimilated from *felios, originally "a suckling."
fecundity (n.)
early 15c., from Latin fecunditatem (nominative fecunditas) "fruitfulness, fertility," from fecundus "fruitful, fertile" (see fecund).
fed (n.)
1788, short for Federalist; as colloquial for "official of the federal government," from 1916; especially, since 1930s, of FBI agents.
fed (adj.)
past-participle adjective from feed (v.). Fed up "surfeited, disgusted, bored," is British slang first recorded 1900 (some early uses connect it to the Boer War), extended to U.S. by World War I; probably from earlier phrases like fed up to the back teeth. Earlier it was used of livestock, "fatten up by feeding." The notion probably is the same one in to have had enough "to have had too much."
fedayeen (n.)
partisans or irregulars in the Middle East, from Arabic plural of fedai "devotee, zealot, one who risks life for a cause," from Persian fidai.
federation (n.)
1721, "union by agreement," from French fédération, from Late Latin foederationem (nominative foederatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin foederare "league together," from foedus "covenant, league" (from PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade").
federalism (n.)
1788, "doctrine of federal union in government," American English, from French fédéralisme, from fédéral (see federal). Also, from about the same time and place, "doctrines of the Federalist Party in American politics."
federate (v.)
1814 (implied in federated), a back-formation from federation, or else from Latin foederatus "leagued, federated, combined; having a treaty, bound by treaty," past participle of foederare "to establish by treaty," from foedus "covenant, treaty, alliance" (from PIE root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade"). Related: Federating. As an adjective, by 1710.
federal (adj.)
1640s, as a theological term (in reference to "covenants" between God and man), from French fédéral, an adjective formed from Latin foedus (genitive foederis) "covenant, league, treaty, alliance" (from PIE *bhoid-es-, suffixed form of root *bheidh- "to trust, confide, persuade").
Secular meaning "pertaining to a covenant or treaty" (1650s) led to political sense of "formed by agreement among independent states" (1707), from use of the word in federal union "union based on a treaty" (popularized during formation of U.S.A. 1776-1787) and like phrases. Also from this period in U.S. history comes the sense "favoring the central government" (1788) and the especial use of the word (as opposed to confederate) to mean a state in which the federal authority is independent of the component parts within its legitimate sphere of action. Used from 1861 in reference to the Northern forces in the American Civil War.