fatfur (English)

Where does "fatfur" come from?

The term 'fatfur' is a modern compound originating in English by combining 'fat' and 'fur', which serves as an abbreviation for a member of the 'furry' subculture[1]. The component 'fat' traces back through Middle English 'fat' and Old English 'fǣtt' to the Proto-West Germanic 'faitid', a past participle meaning 'fatted' derived from the verb 'faitijan'[2][4]. This verb was built upon the root 'fait' meaning 'fat'[8]. The broader etymological history of the word 'fat' reaches further back to the Proto-Germanic form 'fatą'[3][5][7], which ultimately stems from the Proto-Indo-European '*pod-', a root signifying a 'vessel' or 'container'[6].

Open questions

The derivation of the word 'fat' from the Proto-Indo-European '*pod-' is a reconstructed etymological link. [6]

Full etymology tree

fatfur (English), 'A furry who is overweight, whether chubby or obese, sometimes as the object of paraphilic arousal.'
- compound fat (English), 'Carrying more fat than usual on one's body; plump; not lean or thin.'
  - inherited fat (Middle English), 'vessel'
    - inherited fætt (Old English), 'fat'
      - inherited *faitid (Proto-West Germanic), 'fattened, made fat'
        deverbal *faitijan (Proto-West Germanic), 'to fatten, to make fat, plump up'
        inherited *faitijaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to fatten, to make fat, plump up'
        derived *fait (Proto-Germanic)
- compound fur (English), 'The hairy coat of various mammal species, especially when fine, soft and thick.'

Ancestors

fat (English)

Sources

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris