Where does “fray” come from?
Fray comes from Middle English frai, from Latin fricare meaning to rub, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰreyH-.
fray (English): To unravel; used particularly for the edge of...
Definitions
- To unravel; used particularly for the edge of...
Ancestry of “fray”, step by step
fray traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English fraien
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fraien | — |
| 2 | Middle English | affraien | To frighten |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | afrayer | to terrify, disquiet, disturb; Alternative form... |
| 4 | Old French | effreer | — |
| 5 | Vulgar Latin | exfridare | — |
| 6 | Vulgar Latin | *exfrido | — |
| 7 | Frankish | friþu | peace, sanctuary; security, peace; peace |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | friþuz | peace, tranquility; sanctuary, refuge |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | priHós | dear, beloved; happy, free |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | preyH- | to love, to please |
via English defray
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | defray | To pay or discharge (a debt, expense etc.); to meet (the cost of something) |
| 2 | Middle French | desfrayer | — |
| 3 | Old French | fraier | to spend |
| 4 | Latin | fricāre | — |
| 5 | Latin | frio | I crumble, rub, or break into pieces |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | *friāō | — |
via Old French froiier
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | froiier | to rub against, scrape; thrust against |