What does farding mean?
Farding is the present participle of the verb 'fard', which means to apply cosmetic paint or makeup to the face. The verb came into English from French in the sixteenth century, and 'farding' accordingly appears most often in historical, literary, or theatrical contexts — describing, for example, a courtier or an actress being made up for an appearance. Separately, an archaic noun 'farding' denoted a fourth part or quarter, notably in the division of land in medieval England; it shares ancient Germanic roots with the old coin known as the farthing. Both uses are rare today, and the word survives mainly in dictionaries, historical texts, and antiquarian discussion. Its modern notoriety owes less to genuine currency than to its accidental resemblance to contemporary slang, which makes it a frequent subject of linguistic amusement — even though, in its original contexts, it was an entirely ordinary and respectable term for painting the face or dividing property into quarters.
Present participle of 'fard': to apply cosmetic paint or makeup to the face.
"Elizabethan courtiers were notorious for farding their faces in white lead and vermilion."
Found almost exclusively in historical, literary, or theatrical prose.
A fourth part or quarter, especially of land in medieval field systems.
"Each hide of land was subdivided into four fardings held by separate tenants."
Applies only to the archaic noun sense; the verbal sense does not take a plural.
"The surveyor recorded all the fardings of the manor's open fields."
Before the word made people snicker online, 'farding' was simply what Elizabethan courtiers did every morning — painting their faces for court.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of farding
The verbal sense traces to the verb 'fard', borrowed in the sixteenth century from French 'farder' (to paint the face with cosmetics), which itself descends from Frankish or Germanic origins relating to colouring. The archaic nominal sense comes from Old English 'fēorða' (fourth), the same root that produced the farthing, historically a quarter-penny; land divisions called farthings or fardings were common in medieval English open-field systems. Both strands are firmly historical, and neither sense remains in everyday speech.
How farding is actually used
The verbal sense derives from the now-rare verb 'fard', itself chiefly historical; both senses are archaic or literary today. The word occasionally draws amused attention because of its coincidental resemblance to modern slang, which has given this genuinely old term a second, jokey life on the internet. In historical or theatrical writing it retains its literal meaning without comic intent.
Easily confused with farding
A farthing is a former British coin worth a quarter of a penny, whereas farding as an archaic noun refers generally to a fourth part or quarter (such as of land), and as a verb refers to applying face makeup.