*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of fit

Possibly from Middle English fit (“an adversary of equal power”), of uncertain further origin. The original sense appears to have been "to marshal or deploy troops", which shifted to "to suit (troops to a certain locatio

5 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 5 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

The degree to which something fits. · Conformity of elements one to another. · The part of an object upon which anything fits tightly. · Measure of how well a particular commercial execution captures the character or values of a brand.

adj

Suitable; proper · Adapted to a purpose or environment. · In good shape; physically well. · Sexually attractive; good-looking; fanciable.

verb

To be suitable for. · To have sufficient space available at some location to be able to be there. · To conform to in size and shape. · To be of the right size and shape

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Possibly from Middle English fit (“an adversary of equal power”), of uncertain further origin. The original sense appears to have been "to marshal or deploy troops", which shifted to "to suit (troops to a certain location" > "suitable", and may be further related to Icelandic fitja (“to web, knit, cast on”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionfitenm
  • Cognate mentionfitjais · to web, knit, cast on

This page abbreviates 13 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A section of a poem or ballad.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Unknown, possibly from Old English fitt (“song”), or from the sense of fitted to length. Compare Old Saxon *fittea (attested in the borrowed Latin vittea).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
verb

To suffer a fit.

noun

A seizure or convulsion. · A sudden and vigorous appearance of a symptom over a short period of time. · A sudden outburst of emotion. · A sudden burst (of an activity).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Unknown. From Middle English fit (“hardship, danger”), possibly from Old English fitt (“conflict”)—a word only attested once. Compare Cornish fit (“game match, bout”); or else, maybe cognate with Italian fitta (“sudden and stabbing pain”) (see further at Latin fīgere).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*dʰeygʷ-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionfitenm
  • Inherited-form mentionfittang
  • Cognate mentionfitkw
  • Cognate mentionfittait
  • Derivation mentionfigola
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
verb

simple past and past participle of fight; fought.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Formed from fight on the model of bite:bit and light:lit.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
noun

An outfit, a set of clothing.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of outfit.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for fit →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-Zml0