Where does “Fries” come from?
Fries (English) comes from English Friesland, from Middle English Frīsland, from Old English Frīsland, from Old Frisian Frīsa, from Esperanto friso, from French frison, from French Frise, from Middle French frise — around; very; round about.
Ancestry of “Fries”, step by step
Fries traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Friesland
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Friesland | — |
| 2 | Middle English | Frīsland | — |
| 3 | Old English | Frīsland | Frisia |
| 4 | Old Frisian | Frīsa | — |
| 5 | Esperanto | friso | frieze; Frisian |
| 6 | French | frison | a lock of hair; Frisian, from or pertaining to... |
| 7 | French | Frise | — |
| 8 | Middle French | frise | — |
| 9 | Italian | fris | — |
| 10 | Medieval Latin | frisum | — |
| 11 | Latin | frigium | — |
| 12 | Arabic | إِفْرِيز | king beam, cornice |
| 13 | Classical Syriac | ܦܪܝܙܘܡܐ | — |
| 14 | Ancient Greek | περίζωμα | A loincloth worn around the waist |
| 15 | Ancient Greek | περῐ- | around; very; round about |
via French friche
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | friche | fallow land; wasteland |