Where does “fright” come from?
Fright comes from Old English fryhtu, from Proto-Germanic furhtį̄, which derives from Proto-Indo-European roots with the suffix -h₂ denoting a state or condition.
fright (English): A state of terror excited by the sudden...
Definitions
- A state of terror excited by the sudden...
Ancestry of “fright”, step by step
fright traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English fright
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fright | Alternative form of frith; A fright or scare |
| 2 | Old English | fryhtu | Alternative form of fyrhtu: fright |
| 3 | Old English | fyrhtu | fright |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | furhtī | fright, fear |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | furhtį̄ | fear, fright |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | perǵ- | — |
via English afright
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | afright | Alternative form of affright |