Where does “fro” come from?
Fro derives from Middle English fra, from Old English fra, from Old Norse frá, from Proto-Germanic fram, ultimately tracing to Proto-Indo-European roots pr-, bʰuH-, per-, and pr̥tós.
fro (English): From; away; back or backward; Clipping of afro
Definitions
- From; away; back or backward; Clipping of afro
Ancestry of “fro”, step by step
fro traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English fro
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | fro | from |
| 2 | Old English | fra | from |
| 3 | Old Norse | frá | from, away from, about; away; hence, henceforth |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | fram | from; by, due to; forth, forward |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | framaz | forward, prominent |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | prom- | forth, forward |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |