Where does “affray” come from?
Affray comes from Middle English afraien, from Old French esfreer, combining the prefix es- with Frankish friþu meaning peace, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European prāy-.
affray (English): To startle from quiet; to alarm; To frighten; to...
Definitions
- To startle from quiet; to alarm; To frighten; to...
Ancestry of “affray”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | affraien | To frighten |
| 2 | Anglo-Norman | afrayer | to terrify, disquiet, disturb; Alternative form... |
| 3 | Old French | effreer | — |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | exfridare | — |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | *exfrido | — |
| 6 | Frankish | friþu | peace, sanctuary; security, peace; peace |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | friþuz | peace, tranquility; sanctuary, refuge |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | priHós | dear, beloved; happy, free |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | preyH- | to love, to please |