Etymograph

English

fon

Fon comes from Middle English fonne.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fonne1
  2. Englishearliest quotation c. 1503–1512fon1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English fon
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood: “Delt he not lyke a fon? Delt he not…”.

Earlier history not traced here. See Wiktionary.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500fonneWiktionary, English fon
  2. Englishearliest quotation c. 1503–1512fonWiktionary, English fon. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood: “Delt he not lyke a fon? Delt he not…”

Linked words

through Middle English fonne

fun

Today it means

noun A fool or idiot.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “fon”. 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 / Middle English fonne / fon