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Origin and history of ford

ford(n.)

Old English ford "shallow place where water can be crossed," from Proto-Germanic *furdu-, from PIE *prtu- "a going, a passage" (source also of Latin portus "harbor"), from root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over."

The line of automobiles (company founded 1903) is named for U.S. manufacturer Henry Ford (1863-1947).

Germanic cognates include Old Frisian forda, Old High German furt, German Furt "ford."

ford(v.)

"to cross a body of water by walking on the bottom," 1610s, from ford (n.). Related: Forded; fording.

also from 1610s

Entries linking to ford

Clifford

surname and later a masc. proper name, attested from 12c. as a surname, originally a place-name, "ford at the steep bank;" see cliff + ford (n.).

fordable(adj.)

1610s, from ford (v.) + -able.

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crossing
mid-15c., "a making of the sign of a cross;" 1530s, "a marking with a cross," verbal noun from cross (v.). From early 15c. as "place or action of passing across;" 1630s as "place where (a river, a road, etc.) is crossed;" from 1690s as "intersection" (originally of streets). Mean
wade
from PIE root *wadh- (2) "to go," found only in Germanic and Latin (source also of Latin vadere "to go," vadum "shoal, ford...Italian guado, French gué "ford" are Germanic loan-words....
Euphrates
Greek Euphrates, from Old Persian Ufratu, perhaps from Avestan huperethuua "good to cross over," from hu- "good" + peretu- "ford...
flivver
"cheap car," later (after 1914) especially "Model-T Ford," by 1905, of uncertain origin....
mustang
The brand of automobile was introduced by Ford in 1962....
Denver
The family name is from the place of that name in Norfolk, literally "ford or passage used by the Danes," from Old English...
invasion
"to go, to walk, go hastily," from PIE root *wadh- (2) "to go" (source also of Old English wadan "to go," Latin vadum "ford...
Passover
annual Jewish feast instituted to commemorate the escape from Egypt, 1530, coined by Tyndale from verbal phrase pass over, to translate Hebrew ha-pesah "Passover," from pesah (see paschal), in reference to the Lord "passing over" the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when he kill
water
Old English wæter, from Proto-Germanic *watr- (source also of Old Saxon watar, Old Frisian wetir, Dutch water, Old High German wazzar, German Wasser, Old Norse vatn, Gothic wato "water"), from PIE *wod-or, suffixed form of root *wed- (1) "water; wet." To keep (one's) head above w
track
late 15c., "footprint, mark left by anything," from Old French trac "track of horses, trace" (mid-15c.), possibly from a Germanic source (compare Middle Low German treck, Dutch trek "drawing, pulling;" see trek). Meaning "lines of rails for drawing trains" is from 1805. Meaning "

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