feoh

Old English

Alternative forms

• fioh, feh

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *fehu, from Proto-Indo-European *péḱu (“livestock, domestic animals”). Germanic cognates include Old Frisian fia (West Frisian fee), Old Saxon fehu (Low German Veeh), Old Dutch fē (Dutch vee), Old High German fihu (German Vieh), Old Norse fé (Swedish fä), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌹𐌷𐌿 (faihu). The Indo-European root is also the source of Sanskrit पशु (páśu, “cattle”), Latin pecus, Old Armenian ասր (asr, “fleece”) and Lithuanian pēkus (“cattle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fe͜ox/

Noun

feoh n

1. money
   • c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English

     Ēalā ġif iċ hæfde feoh.

     If only I had money.

   feohhord ― treasury

   feohfang ― bribery

   feohgafol ― usury, interest

   feohġerēfa ― steward

   feohġīfre ― avaricious

   feohġītsere ― miser

   feohlufu ― love of money

2. livestock, cattle
   • c. 893, Alfred the Great, Doom Book

     Ġif þē becume ōðres mannes ġīemelēas feoh on hand, þēah hit sīe þīn fēond, ġecȳþ hit him.

     If you come across another person's stray cattle, let him know, even if he is your enemy.

   feohland ― pasture

3. property
4. the runic character ᚠ (/f/)

Declension

Declension of feoh (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	feoh	—
accusative	feoh	—
genitive	fēos	—
dative	fēo	—

Derived terms

• feohġift

Descendants

• Middle English: feh, fe, fee (with Old French)
  • English: fee
  • Scots: fe, fee, fiel