Where does “carefree” come from?
Carefree combines English care from Old English caru and English free from Old English frēo, both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning concern and to love or favor respectively.
carefree (English): Without cares or worries; free of concern or...
Definitions
- Without cares or worries; free of concern or...
Ancestry of “carefree”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | -free | free from; devoid of; without |
| 2 | Middle English | -fre | — |
| 3 | Old English | -frēo | — |
| 4 | Old English | frēo | free, joyful |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *frī | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | frijaz | free |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | priHós | dear, beloved; happy, free |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | preyH- | to love, to please |
Words derived from “carefree”