English Wordbook/F

aStaff F of the English Wordbook.

Basic abbreviations:

• OE = Old English
• ME = Middle English
• SC = Scots
• WF = West Frish
• NF = North Frish
• SF = Saterlandish Frish
• WLG = West Low Theech
• ELG = East Low Theech
• NL = Netherlandish
• NHG = New High Theech
• IC = Icelandish
• HIC = High Icelandish
• NO = Nornish
• SW = Swedish
• DN = Danish
• MLG = Middle Low Theech
• MNL = Middle Netherlandish
• MHG = Middle High Theech
• OF = Old Frish
• OS = Old Saxish
• OHG = Old High Theech
• ON = Old Norse
• GO = Gottish
• PWG = Or-West-Theedish
• PG = Or-Theedish

For a full list of etymological and other abbreviations used in these wordlists, see: Offshortenings.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Chancery English	Class	Anglish/English
		Attested	Unattested
fable	n	tale	byquide (<OE bigcwide)
fabric	n	cloth, argmt: shell, framework	thrum (<OE)
fabricate	vb	bring into being, build, make, put together, run up, set up, shape; think up, write; lie, make up	-
fabulous	adj	groovy, amazing, sterling, top-shelf, wonderful	-
facade	n	foreside, forehead; outer-skin, put-on, show	-
face	n	shell, cast, side, foreside	anatomy: neb (<OE nebb), anleth (<ME anleth, onlete) leer, hue, blee, mug, forefeeler (that which shows feeling at the front), besight, ysight (calque of many Germanic languages. NHG. Gesicht), beseer, andwliter (<OE andwlita) pl: andwliten
facet	n	side, bearing	-
facetious	adj	biting, tung-in-cheek, sharp-witted, salty, smart, witty	-
facilitate	vb	easen	-
fact	n	truth	deedsake (cf. NHG Tatsache)
fact, in	phr	indeed, in truth	soothly
factor	n	building block	-
factory	n	-	buildworks worksmithy (cf. Ic. verksmiðja)
faculty	n	-	lorehalldeal
fad	n	hit, brainstorm	-
fade	vb	dwindle, wane	sear
fæces	n	shit, shite, stool, dirt, dung	-
faggot	n	-	stickbind, stickfasten, stickbundle
faience	n	-	tin-glazed earthenware
fail	vb	fizzle, flop, flunk	trock (<OE trucian), swether
failure	n	oversight, blunder, washout	trockness (<OE trucian), swethering
faint	vb	swoon, flake out, black out	-
fair	n	hoppings	-
fairy	n	elf	-
fairytale	n	-	elvinrime
fait accompli	n	done deed, done deal, fulfilled, carried out, (thing) over and done	-
faith	n	belief, troth, trow	lief (<OE lēafa)
faithful	adj	down-the-line, fast, good, steadfast, steady, true-blue	trowful liefful (<OE ġelēafful)
faithfulness	n	-	lieffulness (<OE ġelēaffulnes) pl: lieffulnessa (<OE ġelēaffulnessa) trowfulness
faith, to have	vb	trust, lief	trow
falcon	n	-	falk (cf. Dan./Now./Swed. Falk, Du. valk, NHG. Falke)
fallacy	n	-	untrue/wrong/unsound rake
fallible	adj	unsound, wanting	-
false	adj	lease, off, unsound, untrue, wrong; sham; crooked; flicke; misdealing, misleading	-
falsely accuse	vb	-	forwray (<OE forwregan)
fame	n	name, wellstanding, stardom, limelight, greatness	breme (<OE) reem (<OE hrēmiġ; cf. NHG Ruhm, Du. roem) reth (<OE hreþ)
familiar	adj	friendly, inward, near, thick, tight; abreast; household	hewcouth (<OE hiwcuþ) forwildering (as unlike bewildering)
family	n	kin, kindred, kinfolk, ilk, sib	ilk, inherd, kneeris (<OE cnēoris) pl:  kneerissa (<cnēorissa)
family household	n	-	hewreaden (<OE hiwræden)
famine	n	dearth, hunger	-
famished	adj	hungry, starving, hunger-bitten	-
famous	adj	well-known, couth	bereemed (cf. NHG berühmt, beroemt) beknown (cf. NHG bekannt) breme (<OE brēme)
fan	n	lover, nut	device: blower, waffer, waffend enthusiast: fultumer (<OE: fultum, support) bewonderer (cf. Du. bewonderaar)
fanatic	n	hardnose	-
fanaticism	n	-	ellentroth
fancy	n	liking, longing, bent, flighty thought, daresay, brainwave	-
fancy	adj	showy	-
fantastic	adj	wonderful	-
fantasy	n	daydream, dreamland, dreamworld, dreamscape	mindwonder; wonder flight
farce	n	take-off, dry-wit	-
farrago	n	mash, mashing, all-kinds-of	sundrying
fasces	n	bundle	-
fascia	n	strip. band	-
fascism	n	-	farright rikedom
fascist	adj/n	-	farrightwing n: farrightwinger
fascinate	vb	bewitch, spellbind, draw, fire, inthrall, eyebite (cited by Richard Chenevix Trench)	-
fascinated	adj	inthralled, bewitched, spellbound	-
fashion	vb	fit, put, shape; frame	hue (<OE hiwian), fangle
fashion	n	trend, way	fangle
fashionable	adj	cool slang, trendy; crowd-pleasing	-
fastidious	adj	choosy, picky	-
fatal	adj	deadly	-
fatal wound	n	-	wealben (<OE wælbenn) pl: wealbenna (<OE wælbenna)
fatamorgana	n	-	loftglass
fate	n	doom, lot weird meaning was skewed by Shakespear's Weird Sisters, revived after dying as a word meaning "destiny"	wyrd (<OE), orlay (<OE orlæg)
fatigue	n	frazzle, tiredness, weariness	-
fatuous	adj	brainless, half-witted, thickheaded	-
fault	n	shortcoming, want, weakness; mistake, oversight, trip; pockmark, misstep,	dwild (<OE), Shild (Eng.) (<ME schuld, OE scyld, cf. NHG./Du. Schuld)
fauna	n	wildlife	deerworld, wightlife
faux-pas	n	mistake, misstep, slipup	fake-step (Calque of the French)
favor	n	kindness, blessing; one-sideness, shine	hild, milts (<OE)
favourable	adj	bright, golden, heartening, hopeful	belikening, fair-boding
favourite	adj	beloved, darling, fair-haired, fond, loved, sweet, white-headed; choses, handpicked; crowd-pleasing	fondmost; belikened
feasible	adj	likely, doingly, seemingly, timely, welltimed, wieldly, worthwhile	howingly (<OE hogian: plan)
feast	n	feed, spread; wealth	simble (<OE symbel)
Feast day (religious)	n	-	simbleday (<OE symbeldæg)
Feast of the Cross	n	Holy Rood Day	-
Feast of the Transfiguration	n	-	Forhallowing Day
feature	n	shape, look, make, mark	-
February	n	-	Filibrook, Solmonth, Horningmonth
feckless	adj	bootless, hamstrung	-
federal	adj	-	kernelish, rikebandish
federation	n	-	gathertang (<OE gadertang), rikeband
feeble	adj	weak	-
fee simple	n	freehold	-
feign	vb	sham, put on	-
feint	n	blind, hoodwinking, put-on, red herring	-
felicitate	vb	hug	-
feline	adj	pusslike	-
felony	n	-	headsin, deathshild (<OE dēaþscyld)
female	n	quean, lady, wifekind, she-kind (pre: she-)	frow (<OE frōwe, cf. NHG Frau)
feminazi (slang)	n	-	she-fiend
feminine	adj	-	wifely (<OE wíflic, NHG weiblich) shesome
feminism	n	-	shehoodness, shehood
feminist	n/adj	-	shehooder adj: shehoodish
femto (-byte)	pref	fifteen-	-
femur	n	thigh bone	-
fence	n	wall, hedge, sundering	-
fend (off)	vb	ward off, hold off, keep off	-
fender	n	shield, windshield, hob; midriff	-
fennec	n	-	dryland fox
feodalism	n	-	flack fellowship
feral	adj	wild, untamed, running mad, tameless	-
feric	adj	ironlike	-
feriferous	adj	-	iron-yielding, ironbear, ironbere
ferment	n/v	n: barm, yeast v: yeast	-
ferocious	adj	fiendish, mad, grim, warlike, wild, frothing	-
ferret	n	-	neasle
ferret	vb	hound, harry, seek out	nease (<OE neosian)
fertile	n	fallow, yielding, loamy	wastombear
fervent	adj	glowing, warm-blooded	-
fester	vb	burn, rot, weep, blain	-
festival	n	holiday	guild (<OE gield), frealsing
festive	adj	festlike, cheery, grooving, upbeat, hearty, merry, gleeful	frealsing
festoon	n	-	wreathe
festoon	vb	deck, trim, doll up	clad up
fetid	adj	smelly, stenchy, rank	-
fetish	n	-	kink, overlust
feudal	adj	toll-run, feeholding, lendship	-
feud	n	foe-fighting, bad blood, ill-feeling	-
fever	n	ail, sickness	driff, rithing (<OE), raised body heat, to be burning up
fiancee	n	betrothed, husband-to-be, wife-to-be	-
fiasco	n	out-and out breakdown, full-blight, misdeal	-
fibre/fiber	n	bristle, thread; backbone, grit, guts, pluck	thrum
fibula	n	calf bone, bow pin	-
fiction	n	-	umtruth, playtruth
fidelity	n	faithfullness, troth	heldrede (<OE hyldræden)
figment	n	daydream	dwimmer
figure	n	-	gestelld (cf. NHG Gestalt), anseen (<OE ansien), beaconing (<OE bycnung)
figure out	vb	riddle, work out	-
filings	n	-	swarf
filter	n/vb	sieve, sift, winnow, trawl	-
final	adj	last, rearmost, hindmost; flat, frozen, hard, set, settled, endmost	-
finale	n	ending, showdown	-
finally	adv	at last, endily, endly, in the end,	-
finance	n	thrift	geltlore, geltwist (cf. NHG geldwesen, Du. geldwezen)
fine (payment)	n	bote	-
fine	n/adj	dusty, finespun, hairline; neat, straight, spot-on; four-star; keen, sharp; tasteful; adv: all right, good, middlingly	sifer, swotel n: lawslight
finish	vb	end, fullcome	beend (be-end) (cf. NHG beenden)
finish	n	ending	-
finished	adj	ready, done
fireplace	n	hearth	-
firm	adj	fast, bound, unyielding, stalwart	-
firmament	n	blue, heaven(s), high, welkin	swail, rother (<OE), heaven-wheel (<OE), beaten-stretch (more literal to Biblical 'raqia')
fiscal	adj	-	gelth
fissure	n	crack, split, cleft	chine (<OE chin)
fix	vb/n	fasten(ing), right, work overhaul	-
fixed	adj	given, fast, fastened	-
flaccid	adj	limp	-
flagellate	n	lash, leather, rawhide	-
flagellum	n	whip	-
flame	n	blaze, fire, fire-shoot, lowe	-
flamingo	n	-	stiltswan, fireswan
flange	n	rim	-
flask	n	-	flax (<OE flaxe/flasce)
flatulence	n	wind	-
flavour	n	tang, smack, smatch	-
flax	n	-	linwort
Flensburg	n	-	Flensburgh
flexible	adj	lithe, bendy, limber, bendfull, bendsome, bowsome	-
flexibility	n	limberness	bendfullness (<OE bendfulnes)
flight-hooligan	n		flight-dretch
flinch	vb	draw back, wince, hang back, reel, shy, blench	-
flirt	vb	eye-tease, eye play	-
floccinaucinihilipilificate	vb	deem worthless	-
flora	n	green	bloomlife, wortlife
Florence	n	-	Fairburgh (cf. Ic. Fagurborg)
flour	n	meal	-
flourish	vb	bloom, blossom	forblow (OE blowan, NHG blühen)
flower	n	bloom, blossom	bloostem (<OE blōstm)
fluctuate	n	swing	-
fluent	adj	flowing, smoothspoken	-
fluorescent	adj	leaming	flowglowing
fluorine	n	-	flowstuff
flux	n	flowing	outierning (<OE ūtiernung) pl: outiernyga (<OE ūtiernunga)
flying buttess	n	-	loftbow (cf. Du. luchtboog)
focus	n	eye; lodestar	fuster (< OE fustra)
folly	n	dullness, unwisdom, witlessness, boneheadedness	wanwit, dullship, stuntness, fleard, oodness, unwareship, sotship,
fondant	n	frosting, icing	-
fondue	n	-	smeltcheese
font	n	-	casting
fool	n/adj	dotty, half-baked; sucker; halfwit, bonehead, meathead	narr (cf. other Germ. langs.)
fool's gold	n	mullock	-
foolhardy	adj	brash, bold, headlong, heedless, hot-headed, daring, daresome, reckless	-
footprint	n	footmark	footspoor, trod, last, footlast
force	n'/vb"	strength, dint, might, thring; thrust, shove, pull	thrack (<OE þracu) groundswell (nautical) military: manfulltume (<OE manfultum) heavenly: heavenmaiën (<OE heofonmæġen) "vb:" twing (<NHG zwingen)
forceps	n	tongs	-
forcible	adj	strong-arm	-
foreign	adj	new,	Welsh (<OE wealh + -ish), farborn, outlandish Fremd (English but seldom), ellendish (<ME elendish, ellendish, <OE elelendisc)
foreign country	n	farland, faraway land, outland	althede, elland (<OE eleland, elland)
foreigner	n	outlander, outsider	farlander, fremd-folk Fremdling (NHG. Fremdling) Fremder
forest	n	wald, weald, wood(land), woods, holt, frith, timberland	-
forester	n	woodward, woodsman	frither (cf. NHG Förster)
forestry	n	-	woodward-craft, firthery
forficula	n	earwig	forky tail, clipshear
forge	vb/n	get along; carve out, grind out, thrash out, work up; beat, draw, pound n: smithy, hammermill	-
form	n	shape	hue (<OE hiwian)
form	vb	shape, make, begin, build	maithwlite (<OE mǣġþwlitian) bild (<OE biliþ, cf. NHG bilden, Du beelden)
formal	adj	starchy, stiff-necked, stilted; lofty, high-flown	-
formation	n	setting up, shaping, building, making	forestalling
formatted	n	shaped	-
formidable	adj	stalwart	-
formula	n	1. draft	2. leechwrit, spellwrit
fornication	n	-	dernledging (<OE diernlicgan)
fort(ress)	n	keep, stronghold, fastness	hillwark
fortification	n	stronghold	umthrimming (<OE ymbtrymming) befastening (calque)
fortitude	n	backbone, grit, grittiness, pluck	ellen, strength
fortune	n	hap, luck	-
forum	n	moot, soapbox	mootstow (<OE mótstów)
fossil	n	forbone	wightstone
fotanelle	n	mould	-
found	vb	ground, build, begin, settle	-
founder	n	father of; begetter.	groundlayer (cf. Dutch, grondlegger, cf. Norw. grunnlegger) statheller/statheler (<OE staþolian + NE -er)
foundation	n	groundwork, staddle	groundlaying (<NHG, Danish)stathel (<OE staþol)
fountain	n	cradle, root, seedbed, wellspring head: headspring	springwell (cf. NHG Springbrunnen) brunn (<OE brunna, cf. NHG Brunnen)
foyer	n	waiting room	-
fraction	n	share, lot, deal, breaking	-
fracture	n/vb	break	-
fragile	adj	brittle, weak	brokenly (<OE brocenlic)
fragment	n	thrum, scrap, shatters, sherd	breakdeal
fragmentation	n	-	forcleaving
framboise	n	raspberry	-
francophone	adj	French-speaking
France	n		Frankland
fraternal	adj	brotherly	-
fraternity	n	brotherhood	-
fraud	n	swindle	overcraft (<OE ofercræft), lot
fray	vb	frazzle	-
frenzy	n	madness	hestmadness
French	adj/n		Francish( of the tung and adjective ), Franklander( of the people )
frequency	n	oftenness	-
frequent	vb/adj	hang at; adj: everyday, household	simble (<OE)
frequently	adv	often, over and over	-
fresco	n	-	chalkmealing
fresh	adj	frim, new	-
fricative	adj	rubclank	-
friction	n	rubbing	-
fringe	n	edge, outskirt	-
front	n	fore, afore, foreside	-
frontier	n	region: backlands, backwater, backwoods, bush, hinterland, outback	mire (<OE mære)
fructose	n	-	berrysweet
fruit	n	-apple, -berry, seed, spawn; output, work, yield,	blead, ovest (cf. Du. ooft, NHG Obst) wastum (<OE wæstm)
fruitful	adj	lush	wastomly (<OE wæstmlic)
fruitfulness	n	-	wastombereness
frustrate	vb	thwart	-
fucacae	n	seaweed	float-wort, seawrack
fuel	n	-	firefod (<OE fyrfoda)
fugitive	n	runaway, lamster	flightling, wrack (< OE wræcca)
fulcrum	n	shaft, heart, swivel	-
fulfilment	n	fulfilling	-
fuliginous	adj	sooty, grimy, blackish, darkish, dusty, emberlike, cinderly, ashlike, coomy	-
fulminate	n	huff	-
fumigate	vb	-	bereak (<berēocan)
fun	vb	play
function	n	work	brooking (<OE brucing) workgoal
functional	adj	working	-
fund	n	nest egg; wherewithal; stock	groundfest
fundament	n	groundwork	-
fundamental	adj	underlying, innermost, key,	groundlaying (<NHG, Danish), needmickle (<OE nidmicel)
funeral	n	burial	begraving, beearthing (cf. NHG beerdigung)
fungus	n	-	swamb (<OE swamm)
funk	n	dank	-
furnace	n	oven	-
furniture	n	fittings, roomware, houseware	-
fuse	n	meld, cleave	forsmelt
futile	adj/n	worthless	fremeless
future	n	by-and-by, hereafter, offing, forthcomingness	forthshaft (<OE forðgesceaft),  Tocome towardness  (<OE tōweardnes) pl': towardnessa (<OE tōweardnessa)
future	adj	forthcoming, upcoming, unborn	forthtime near and far