'featherlike' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'feðer' (Old English for 'feather'), combined with the adjective-forming suffix '-like' from Old English 'līc' meaning 'form' or 'like'.

'feather' changed from Old English 'feðer' to Middle English forms such as 'fether' and eventually became the modern English 'feather'; the suffix '-like' developed from Old English 'līc' and became a productive adjective suffix; these elements combined in Modern English to form 'featherlike'.

Initially it meant 'having the qualities or form of a feather'; over time it has retained this central sense, often emphasizing lightness, delicacy, or a soft, filamentous texture.