Fairy /feri/

Etomology – the study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings, spellings and usage and have changed over time.

It is revealing to understand the evolution of the present day word ‘fairy’, and its more ancient origins. The present word ‘fairy’ is derived from the old Anglo-French word ‘fae’. In turn, the word fae is derived from the older Latin word ‘faie’, which is a derivative of the root word fāta, which means ‘the fates’. Fāta was the Latin name for Goddess of Fate, and is the root meaning of the present day word ‘fairy’.

The word ‘fae’ – derived from the Latin root term ‘faie’, evolved into the alternative Anglo-French spellings of ‘fey, fee, and fay’. All these terms indicate either a single fae or all fae collectively.

The word ‘faerie’ was derived from the Latin root word ‘faie’ with the suffix ‘-eire’ added (faie + eire) – meaning ‘the realm (or land) of the fae’ and evolved into the Anglo-French word faerie – originally meaning, the fae (or fay, fee, fey) that live in the ‘erie’, also known as the ‘land of enchantment’.

The word ‘faery’ is an old English spelling derivative from the earlier French word ‘fae’ with a linguistic ending ‘ry’ added, and came to generally mean a single reference. However, it was originally rooted in the earlier root and meaning of ‘faerie’ and therefore also carried the meaning (fae + ry) from (faie + eire).

The word ‘fairy’ is a modern English spelling derived from the Anglo-French root word ‘fae’ (and similar spellings) and the mixed meaning and usage of the old English spelling ‘faery’, and not to be confused with the original conjunction ‘faie + -eire’ (fae + land) meaning the realm of the fae. As such it follows that the modern English equivalent of ‘faerie’ (fae-rie) is ‘fairyland’ (fairy-land).

The word ‘fairy’ has a singular meaning – only one fae, unlike the collective reference of older root spellings (fae, fey, fee, and fay). Also the old English spelling ‘faery’ is an alternative spelling of both the Anglo-French words ‘fae and fairie’, depending on usage. As such, the word ‘faery’ is an English old world spelling of both modern English terms ‘fairy’ and ‘fairyland’.

Therefore – ‘Faery Fae’, the realm of the fae, the place of the fairies, the faeryfae.

fairy, fairyland – modern English
fae, faerie – old Anglo-French
fay, faery – old English
fee, fey – old French
faie, fata – Latin

See Also, Definitions of the Various Spellings of ‘Fairy’ – https://faeryfae.com/definitions-fairy-faerie-fae-fee/