fethera

Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *feþru, from Proto-Germanic *feþrō. Related to Old High German fedara and Old Saxon fethara.

Pronunciation

• (late) IPA^(key): /veðera/

Noun

fethera f

1. feather
   • 10th century CE, Die altmittel- und altniederfränkischen Psalmen und Glossen [The Old Middle and Old Low Franconian psalms and glosses];

     In an getheke fetherono thinro mendon sal.

     And under the cover of your feathers I will rejoice.

2. (plural only) wing, wings
3. fin
   • c. 900 CE, Oostnederrijns-Westfaalse paarden- en wormbezwering [Eastern Lower Rhine-Westphalian horse and worm excorsism];

     Visc flot aftar themo uuatare. uerbrustun. sina uetherun.

     The fish floated on the water; his fins tore.

Declension

Declension of fethera

	Singular	Plural
nominative	fethera	fetheron, -a
accusative	fethera	fetheron, -a
genitive	fetheron	fetherono
dative	fethero	fetheron

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: vedere
  • Dutch: veder, veer
    • Afrikaans: veer
    • → Caribbean Javanese: pir
    • → Indonesian: per (“spring”)

Further reading

• “fethera”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012
• van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “veer1”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute