An archaic or dialectal term for a fallow deer or reddish-brown color, related to fawn.
From Old English and Middle English, related to 'fawn' (the young deer) and the color associated with it. This word is now obsolete in standard English but may survive in some dialects.
The connection between 'fawe,' 'fawn,' and 'fawny' shows how a single root word about a baby deer evolved into meanings about color—once you name something for its appearance, that color becomes a useful word too.
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