Etymograph

English

fers

Fers comes from Middle English fers ‘queen (chess piece) or predecessor thereof’, and goes back to Classical Persian فَرْزِین.

  1. Classical Persianc. 900–presentفَرْزِین1farzīn
  2. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500ferzia1
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400fierce1
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fers1‘queen (chess piece) or predecessor thereof’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1898fers1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English fers
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1898, A. A. McDonald, The Origin and Early History of Chess: “With their introduction the fers and the alfil disappeared…”.

Lineage

  1. Classical Persianc. 900–presentفَرْزِینWiktionary, English fersfarzīn
  2. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500ferziaWiktionary, English fers
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400fierceWiktionary, English fers
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fersWiktionary, English fers‘queen (chess piece) or predecessor thereof’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1898fersWiktionary, English fers. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1898, A. A. McDonald, The Origin and Early History of Chess: “With their introduction the fers and the alfil disappeared…”

Linked words

through Middle English fers ‘queen (chess piece) or predecessor thereof’

fierce, 2 more

Today it means

noun The medieval chess piece that developed into the modern queen.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “fers”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Classical Persian فَرْزِین / fers

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