Fawn
/fɔːn/noun
A young deer, especially one under a year old.
Did you know?The word ultimately traces back to Old English *fægen* and related Germanic forms meaning “glad” or “rejoicing,” which is why the noun for a young deer is historically tied to a sense of softness and delight.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*fagjaną
“to rejoice, be glad”
Old English
OE
fægen
“glad, rejoicing”
Old French
OF
faon
“young deer, fawn”
Middle English
ME
faun
“a young deer”
Modern English
English
fawn
“a young deer”