Old English Origin:
* "Fēa": This is the direct ancestor of the word "few" in Old English. It was used to describe a small quantity or number.
Proto-Germanic Roots:
* "*fēwō": This is the Proto-Germanic form of the word, from which the Old English "fēa" derived. It also gave rise to words like "few" in other Germanic languages.
Further Back:
* Proto-Indo-European "*peku": This is the ultimate source of the word "few," meaning "cattle" or "wealth." It's likely that "few" developed from a concept of having "little" wealth or "few" possessions.
Meaning Shift:
The meaning of the word "few" has evolved over time. While initially focusing on physical quantities, it later expanded to encompass the concept of "not many" or "a small number."
Summary:
The word "few" has its origins in ancient Germanic languages and ultimately traces back to the Proto-Indo-European word "*peku," originally meaning "cattle" or "wealth." Through a semantic shift, it came to denote a small quantity or number.