Etymology
1. 1301, probably from O.Fr.
fourrer "to line, sheathe," from
fuerre "sheath, covering," from Frank.
*fodr (cf. O.H.G. >*poul-/*pul-
fotar "a cover"), from P.Gmc.
*fothram "sheath." The n. (c.1366) is from the verb. It was first applied c.1430 to "animal hair still on the animal."
Furrier (1576) is on the model of
clothier."I'le make the fur Flie 'bout the eares of the old Cur." [Butler, "Hudibras," 1663]
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-der.
4. Proto-Germanic *fōdrą
5. Frankish *fōdrbor.
6. Anglo-Norman fuerrebor.
7. Middle English furre
8. English fur
9. From Middle English furre, forre, from Anglo-Norman forre, fuerre (“case; sheath”), from Frankish *fōdar, from Proto-West Germanic *fōdr, from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą (“sheath”) (compare Old English fōdor (“sheaf”), Dutch voering (“lining”), German Futter (“lining”), Gothic 𐍆𐍉𐌳𐍂 (fōdr, “sheath”)), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-, *poh₂- (“to protect”) (compare Lithuanian piemuō (“protection”), Ancient Greek πῶῠ̈ (pôŭ̈, “flock”), πῶμα (pôma, “lid”), ποιμήν (poimḗn, “shepherd”), Old Armenian հաւրան (hawran, “herd, flock”), Northern Kurdish pawan (“to watch over”), Sanskrit पाति (pāti, “he watches, protects”).
10. The verb is from Middle English furren, from Anglo-Norman furrer, forrer, fourrer (“to line, stuff, fill”), from the noun. See: Sanskrit '
पाति', Anglo-Norman '
furrer'.