Where does “freight” come from?
Freight comes from Middle English freyght, from Middle Dutch vracht, from Old Saxon frāht, originally meaning the hire or cost of transporting cargo.
freight (English): Payment for transportation; Goods or items in...
Definitions
- Payment for transportation; Goods or items in...
Ancestry of “freight”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fraught | — |
| 2 | Dutch | vracht | freight; a large amount, a mass |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | vracht | payment for cargo; freight, load, cargo |
| 4 | Middle Low German | vracht | freight money |
| 5 | Old Saxon | frāht | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | fra- | off, away; completely, fully, up |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |