Etymology: Originally < classical Latin font-, fons spring, well, source of a river, source, origin, fount, in post-classical Latin also water of baptism, baptism (3rd cent.; frequently in plural with singular reference in this sense), also (especially in plural) the receptacle for baptismal water (see discussion in note) < the same Indo-European base as Sanskrit dhanvati runs, flows. In later use (in sense 1) reinforced by Anglo-Norman funt and Old French font (chiefly in plural; Middle French fonts , fons , French fonts , plural), chiefly attested with reference to the baptismal font (c1100 in this sense) < classical Latin font- , fons . Compare fount n.¹, which is ultimately of the same origin. In later use in sense 2 perhaps partly an alteration of fount n.¹ after its ultimate etymon classical Latin font-, fons.The Latin word was also borrowed into other West Germanic languages (as in Old English, apparently earliest, and chiefly, in the context of Christian baptism so that the early parallels show the sense ‘baptismal font’); compare Old Frisian font , funt , Middle Dutch vonte , fonte (Dutch vont , now usually doopvont ), Middle Low German vonte , vunte , and also Old High German funtifillol godson (in isolated attestation; compare post-classical Latin filiolus de fonte (9th cent.)). Compare also (perhaps borrowed via a West Germanic language) Old Icelandic funtr , fontr (Icelandic fontur ), Old Swedish fonter , funter (Swedish funt , now usually dopfunt ), Old Danish funt (Danish font , now usually døbefont ). Compare also other Romance reflexes of the Latin word, which retain the primary sense ‘spring’, as Old Occitan fon (Occitan font ), Catalan font (14th cent.), Spanish fuente (10th cent. as fonte ), Portuguese fonte (13th cent.), Italian fonte (13th cent.). Form history. The somewhat unexpected stem vowel of Old English fant beside font parallels the regular variation between a and o before a nasal in native words, but is unusual in a loanword. It may indicate relatively early borrowing of the Latin into Old English, in the context of earlier contact with Christianity, rather than later learned borrowing, although the details and their implications for the borrowing process are disputed. Middle English funt , etc., in use with reference to baptismal fonts, apparently shows Anglo-Norman influence. (Quot. c1450 at sense 2 could alternatively show an earlier attestation of fount n.¹, if o is interpreted as a graphic representation of u to avoid minim confusion.) Compare also Old English funta (weak masculine) in the sense ‘spring’, only attested as a place-name element, including in boundary markers in Anglo-Saxon charter bounds; compare æt Ceadeles funtan , Warwickshire (949; now Chadshunt). This appears to show an independent borrowing of Latin font- (or perhaps a suffixed form: compare fountain n.) in its original sense ‘spring’. The form of Old English funta perhaps reflects a British pronunciation of Latin font- or transmission via a Celtic language. It is doubtful whether it survived long enough for there to be continuity with fount n.¹, and for semantic reasons it is not very likely to have influenced forms of font n.¹ Development of use denoting the baptismal font. The plural use in sense 1b parallels the predominant pattern in post-classical Latin, Anglo-Norman, French, and Occitan. The plural has been explained as referring to the compound fonts of several basins found in some early baptisteries. But probably expressions such as Latin fontes baptismi originally meant only ‘the fountains (i.e. waters) of baptism’, the application as the name of the vessel being secondary. Already in post-classical Latin use in the context of baptism it can occasionally be unclear whether reference is only to the water used in baptism or also its receptacle, the baptismal font. In Old English and early Middle English, similarly, the context often does not seem to allow a clear distinction between the two, but it is likely that reference sometimes is to the water in or from a baptismal font. This may well reflect the primary sense of the Latin etymon, but can be difficult to distinguish from later extended (metonymical) use within English. With use in sense 1a compare also post-classical Latin fons baptismatis (from 8th cent. in British sources).

Etymology: < Middle French, French fonte cast iron (1477; 1472 in fer de fonte ), action or process of melting or founding (1488), action of producing objects from molten metal (1551), set of type (1567), either < fondre found v.³ by analogy with other feminine nouns in -te corresponding to verbs in -dre (as fente fent n., feinte feint n., etc.), or < an unattested post-classical Latin *fundita , use as noun of the feminine of post-classical Latin funditus , past participle (13th cent. in a British source) < classical Latin fundere found v.³ (the classical Latin past participle is fūsus : see fuse adj.). With sense 1 compare earlier found n.² With sense 2 compare slightly later fond n.³, fund n.², fount n.²

Etymology: < font n.¹ (compare sense 1 at that entry).