fayre

Fayre is a historical spelling of the English noun fair. In its primary sense, fayre referred to a public event such as a market, festival, or carnival—an occasion for commerce, entertainment, or gathering. The spelling fayre is chiefly found in Middle English and Early Modern English texts and is now regarded as archaic, with modern English standardizing on fair. In literature, fayre often appears to evoke a medieval or rustic ambience, particularly in poetry and chivalric narratives.

The etymology of fayre traces to the Old French foire, which entered English during the medieval period. The word is cognate with the modern fair in the sense of a public market or event, and it shares kinship with related Romance forms such as French foire.

Beyond historical use, fayre survives in contemporary language primarily as a surname and in place names or branding that intentionally evoke antiquity. In these contexts, fayre is generally unrelated to the modern adjective fair meaning just or beautiful, though the underlying root is common.

Overall, fayre is best understood as an archaic or stylistic variant of fair, retained primarily in historical texts and in names that aim to convey an older or quaint atmosphere.