Where does “FreeBSD” come from?
FreeBSD is a proper noun derived from English free, which traces through Middle English free and Old English frēo back to Proto-Germanic frijaz meaning "not in bondage," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European preyH-.
FreeBSD (English): A Unix-like operating system that is derived from Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), notable for having the largest following in the BSD community
Definitions
- A Unix-like operating system that is derived from Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), notable for having the largest following in the BSD community
Ancestry of “FreeBSD”, step by step
FreeBSD traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Free
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Free | Unconstrained |
| 2 | English | faller | One who falls; A fruit that falls from the tree,... |
| 3 | English | -er | A person or thing that does an action indicated... |
| 4 | Middle English | -er | agentive suffix; agent noun suffix |
| 5 | Old French | -er | Alternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;... |
| 6 | Latin | -āre | first conjugation |
| 7 | Proto-Italic | -āō | Forms primarily denominative verbs |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 11 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |