Etymograph

English

fetish

Fetish comes from French fétiche ‘fetish, idol’, from Portuguese feitiço ‘feigned, false’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-1reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyéti1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjō1reconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjō1‘to make’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciō1‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfactus1‘done, made, having been done or made’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfactīcius1‘artificial’
  8. Portuguesec. 1500–presentfeitiço1‘feigned, false’
  9. Frenchc. 1600–presentfétiche1‘fetish, idol’
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1860fetish1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English fetish
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1860, George Eliot: “This was the trunk of a large wooden doll…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰeh₁k-Wiktionary, English fetishreconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dʰh₁kyétiWiktionary, English fetishreconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*θakjōWiktionary, English fetishreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fakjōWiktionary, English fetish‘to make’reconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfaciōWiktionary, English fetish‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfactusWiktionary, English fetish‘done, made, having been done or made’
  7. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfactīciusWiktionary, English fetish‘artificial’
  8. Portuguesec. 1500–presentfeitiçoWiktionary, English fetish‘feigned, false’
  9. Frenchc. 1600–presentféticheWiktionary, English fetish‘fetish, idol’
  10. Englishearliest quotation 1860fetishWiktionary, English fetish. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1860, George Eliot: “This was the trunk of a large wooden doll…”

Linked words

through Proto-Italic *θakjō

effectively, effectiveness, ineffective, affectionate, imperfection, 62 more

through Proto-Italic *fakjō ‘to make’

effective, difficulty, interface, perfection, affection, imperfect, facet, affective, defection, defector, effector, deface, affectation, confectionary, putrefaction, 67 more

through Latin faciō ‘to make, construct, fashion, frame, build, erect’

face, difficult, perfect, effect, profit, factor, facility, efficient, affect, faculty, affair, sacrifice, facial, deficit, facilitate, manufacture, infection, feat, efficacy, faction, superficial, defect, facade, deficient, counterfeit, infect, facsimile, hacienda, maleficent, aficionado, efficacious, parfait, facies, difficile, beautify, confit, beneficent, confection, refectory, 82 more

through Latin factus ‘done, made, having been done or made’

fact, feature, 2 more

Today it means

noun Something which is believed to possess, contain, or cause spiritual or magical powers; an amulet or a talisman.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “fetish”. 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 / Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- / fetish

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