What does fellowed mean?
Fellowed is the past tense of the rare English verb 'fellow', which means to associate with, accompany, or keep company with someone, or to match someone as a companion. The word derives from the noun 'fellow', itself from Old Norse félagi, meaning a partner or one who shares property ('fé' meaning cattle or money and 'lag' meaning a laying together). While the noun 'fellow' remains common in everyday English, its verbal use has always been marginal, and 'fellowed' survives chiefly in older or literary writing, where one might read that a person 'fellowed with' scholars, sailors, or rebels. In contemporary prose it is unusual enough that most readers will find it striking or archaic, and careful writers typically prefer clearer alternatives such as 'associated with', 'fraternized with', or 'kept company with'. It should not be confused with the far more common 'followed', which differs by a single letter but means something entirely different.
verb (rare; past tense of 'fellow')Past tense of the rare verb 'fellow', meaning to associate or keep company with someone, or to pair someone as a companion.
- To have associated or kept company with someone (past tense of the rare verb 'fellow').
"In his youth he fellowed with poets and reformers alike."
"He fellowed with sailors and smugglers during his years at port."
"The apprentices fellowed together in their few hours of leisure."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of fellowed
The word traces to the noun 'fellow', borrowed from Old Norse félagi, meaning a partner in a joint venture, formed from 'fé' (cattle, money) and 'lag' (a laying or placing together). The noun entered English in the medieval period and flourished, but the derived verb 'fellow' — meaning to act as a companion to or to associate with — remained rare and largely literary or dialectal. Its past form 'fellowed' therefore appears only occasionally in historical texts rather than in common modern usage.
Related word forms
How fellowed is actually used
This is a rare, largely archaic or dialectal form; the verb 'fellow' is seldom used in modern English, and 'fellowed' appears mainly in older literature. Most modern writers would rephrase using 'kept company with' or 'associated with'.
Easily confused with fellowed
'Fellowed' means associated as companions, while 'followed' means came after or pursued someone.