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Where does the word "forge" come from? It comes from Latin fabrica, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
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Where does the word "forge" come from? It comes from Latin fabrica, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
Forge’s story begins in Latin: fabrica meant “workshop.” From 'faber', smith, the root of 'fabric' and 'fabricate'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as forge. A blacksmith's furnace. It reached English by 1300s as forge. 'forge' as counterfeit dates from the 1300s too. Today, forge means a blacksmith's workshop; to make or counterfeit.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient fabrica "workshop", from 'faber', smith, the root of 'fabric' and 'fabricate'.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval forge "smithy", a blacksmith's furnace.
- Stage 3 · English · 1300s forge "smithy; to shape metal", 'forge' as counterfeit dates from the 1300s too.