fee

Where does the word "fee" come from? It comes from Frankish fehu, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Fee’s story begins in Frankish: fehu meant “cattle, property.” A Frankish word; cattle were wealth, related to Latin 'pecus'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as fie. Land granted by a lord. It reached English by 1300s as fee. Came to mean a payment for services. Today, fee means a payment made for professional advice or services.

1. Stage 1 · Frankish · ancient fehu "cattle, property", a Frankish word; cattle were wealth, related to Latin 'pecus'.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval fie "fief", land granted by a lord.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s fee "land held in return for service", came to mean a payment for services.