Where does “afraid” come from?
Afraid descends from Middle English affrayed, through Middle English afraien and Old French esfreer, combining Old French es- (from Latin ex) with Frankish friþu, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European prāy-.
afraid (English): Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear;...
Definitions
- Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear;...
Ancestry of “afraid”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | affrayed | — |
| 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 |