Where does “frighten” come from?
Frighten derives from English affright, which combines Old English -en with a Proto-Germanic root jainaz meaning "sudden fear," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots i- and en with the suffix -h₂.
frighten (English): To cause to feel fear; to scare; to cause to feel...
Definitions
- To cause to feel fear; to scare; to cause to feel...
Ancestry of “frighten”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | *frightenen | — |