fringe
UK[frɪndʒ]US[frɪndʒ]
n
An outer edge or border of an area, group, or subject
n
A decorative edge of hanging threads, cords, or strips, attached to clothing or fabric
adj
Not part of the mainstream; unconventional or peripheral
Etymology
The word 'fringe' traces its lineage to the Latin 'fimbria', which specifically referred to the threads or border of a fabric. This concrete, physical sense traveled into Old French as 'frenge' before entering Middle English. The core logic of the word has remained remarkably stable, moving from the literal threads at the edge of cloth to describe any outer edge, margin, or border in a more abstract sense. Its modern use as an adjective to denote unconventional or peripheral ideas extends this metaphor of being on the outer edge of a mainstream group or field of thought.
Analysis
The word is a simplex form. It derives from the Old French 'frenge', meaning 'thread, fringe, border', which itself came from the Late Latin 'frimbia', a variant of the Latin 'fimbria', meaning 'border, fringe, threads'.
Examples
They set up camp on the fringe of the forest.
The shawl was beautifully decorated with a long silk fringe.
His theories were considered fringe science by many established academics.