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fello

Etymology and origin of the Latin word fello

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fello1 suck

Confidence
Established
Formation
Inherited
First attested
Varro
Inherited from
Proto-Italic *fēlājō
Ultimate origin
Proto-Indo-European (*dʰeh₁(y)-)

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈfeːl.loː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfɛl.lo][1]

Forms

fēllō (present infinitive fēllāre, perfect active fēllāvī, supine fēllātum); first conjugation[1] Also spelled fēlō.[2]

Etymology

The verb is inherited from Proto-Italic *fēlājō, from earlier ⟨*θēlājō⟩, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁(i)-l-éh₂-ye-ti, from *dʰeh₁(y)- (“to suck, suckle”).[1] Cognates include Sanskrit धयति (dhayati, “sucks”), Ancient Greek θηλή (thēlḗ, “nipple”), Gothic 𐌳𐌰𐌳𐌳𐌾𐌰𐌽 (daddjan, “to suckle”) and Old Church Slavonic доити (doiti, “to suckle”).[1] It is related to fēmina, fīlius and fētus.[1][2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citations are from Varro's Menippean Satires, of sucking milk and sucking a she-wolf.[2][3] Köbler dates Varro 116–27 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to suck milk, to suck the milk of, as in Varro, and Lewis & Short call it ante-classical and poetic.[2][3] In Catullus and Martial it meant to perform fellatio.[2] English fellate (1968) is a back-formation from its derivative fellātiō.[5]

Timeline

  • 116–27 BC – Varro uses it of sucking milk.[2][4]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus uses it in its obscene sense.[2][4]
  • 1968 – English fellate is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To suck (milk); to suck the milk of.[2]
  2. To perform fellatio on.[2]

Word family

  • fēllātor
  • fēllātrīx

fello2 villain (Medieval Latin)

Confidence
Uncertain
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
Capitularies, 858
Borrowed from
Frankish *falljō

Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈfɛl.loː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈfɛl.lo][1]

Forms

fellō m (genitive fellōnis); third declension[1] Also fillō.[6]

Etymology

The Medieval Latin noun ⟨fellō⟩, ⟨-ōnis⟩ is of uncertain origin.[6][1] One common hypothesis has it borrowed from Frankish *falljō, or, according to Etymonline, Frankish ⟨*fillo⟩ “one who whips, scourger”; a derivation from fel (“bile”) has also been suggested, and Wiktionary reports the OED as calling it the most probable; a third view takes it as an obscene term of abuse from the verb ⟨fellō⟩.[1][5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's earliest source is a capitulary of 858.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant a knave, villain, a rogue, bandit, evil-doer, a coward, and an unfaithful vassal.[6] Through Old French felon “evil-doer, traitor” it gave English felon (c. 1300).[5]

Timeline

  • 858 – A capitulary uses it.[4]
  • c. 1300 – English felon is recorded.[5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A knave, villain, evil-doer.[6]
  2. (Medieval Latin) A coward; an unfaithful vassal.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  6. ^ a b c d e Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill

Related etymologies

  • mala · also from Frankish
  • opus · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • albus · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • potis · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • salvus · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • socius · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • signum · also from Proto-Indo-European
  • frater · also from Proto-Indo-European
Cite this entry

“Fello.” Etymologically, 17 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/la/fello. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·