Where does “-fri” come from?
-fri (Danish) comes from Swedish fri, from Middle Low German vrī, from Old Saxon frī, from Proto-West Germanic frī, from Proto-Germanic frijaz, from Proto-Indo-European priHós, from Proto-Indo-European preyH- — to love, to please.
-fri (Danish): free from; without
Definitions
- free from; without
Ancestry of “-fri”, step by step
-fri traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish fri
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | fri | free, unconstrained; free, not imprisoned,... |
| 2 | Middle Low German | vrī | free |
| 3 | Old Saxon | frī | free |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | frī | free |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | frijaz | free |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | priHós | dear, beloved; happy, free |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | preyH- | to love, to please |
via Danish fri
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danish | fri | to propose; free; vacant, unoccupied |
| 2 | Middle Low German | vrīen | to free; to marry |
| 3 | Old Saxon | friohon | to free, to liberate; to like, to love, to honour |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | frijōn | to love |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | frijōną | to love; to free; to like |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | prāy- | to like, love |