Fold
/foʊld/noun
To bend something over onto itself, or a bend, crease, or enclosure made by folding.
Did you know?English fold descends from a Proto-Germanic root for bending or enclosing, which also lives on in words for enclosures like sheep-fold and in the idea of a “fold” as a protected group.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pel-
“to fold, bend, or turn”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*falþaną
“to fold or bend”
Old English
OE
fealdan
“to fold, double over, or lay one part over another”
Middle English
ME
folden
“to fold or enclose”
Modern English
English
fold
“to bend over onto itself; a crease or enclosure”