Feer

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic term for a companion, comrade, or partner who travels or works alongside another person
2. An old-fashioned word meaning a mate, fellow, or close associate who keeps someone company
3. A dated name for a comrade or spouse, someone joined to another person in friendship or marriage

Etymology: The word "feer" hides a surprising shift: its ancestor in Old English, "fēre," meant "able to go" or "fit for service," describing a person ready to travel or serve. Companionship grew out of that sense of someone who could go along with you, and the noun came to name the person doing the going. Middle English kept the form "fere" for a companion, and it lasted long enough that later writers could still use it for a partner in marriage or in arms. A second Old English source, "ġefēra," a word for a companion or fellow traveller, also fed into the Middle English form. Two roots, one about readiness and one about shared journeys, ended up merging into a single word meaning someone bound to you by friendship or marriage.

Synonyms: companion, peer, equal, mate