feþer

See also: fether, feyer, and féther

Middle English

Alternative forms

• fether, fethere, fedder, veþer

Etymology

From Old English feþer, from Proto-West Germanic *feþru, from Proto-Germanic *feþrō, from Proto-Indo-European *péth₂r̥ ~ pth₂én-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɛðər/, /ˈfɛːðər/, /ˈfɛdər/

Noun

feþer (plural feþeres)

1. a feather

Descendants

• English: feather
• Scots: fedder
• Yola: vethers (plural)

References

• “fether, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *feþru. See there for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfe.θer/, [ˈfe.ðer]

Noun

feþer f

1. feather
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     baþian brimfuglas, · brǣdan feþra,
     hrēosan hrīm ond snāw, · hagle ġemenġed.

     bathe of sea-birds, spread of feathers,
     fall of frost and snow, mingled with hail.

2. pen (writing instrument)

   Sōðlīċe iċ þenċe mid mīnre feðre, for þon þe mīn hēafod oft nāt nāwiht be þām þe mīn hand wrīt.

   I really do think with my pen, because my head often knows nothing about what my hand is writing.

Declension

Declension of feþer (strong ō-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	feþer	feþra, feþre
accusative	feþre	feþra, feþre
genitive	feþre	feþra
dative	feþre	feþrum

Derived terms

• feþerbǣre

Related terms

• fiþre

Descendants

• Middle English: feþer, fether, fethere, fedder, veþer
  • English: feather
  • Scots: fedder
  • Yola: vethers (plural)

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “feþer”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.