Where does “froward” come from?
Froward comes from Middle English froward, meaning "difficult to deal with" or "contrary," though its ultimate origin remains uncertain.
froward (English): Disobedient, contrary, unmanageable; difficult to...
Definitions
- Disobedient, contrary, unmanageable; difficult to...
Ancestry of “froward”, step by step
froward traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English ward
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | ward | A warden; a guard; a guardian or watchman;... |
| 2 | Middle English | ward | ward, keeping |
| 3 | Old English | weard | guard; guard, the action of looking out for... |
| 4 | Old English | ōra | ore, unwrought metal |
| 5 | Old English | ēar | sea, ocean; grave, earth |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | ahaz | ear |
| 7 | Proto-Finnic | ahtas | narrow, cramped |
| 8 | Proto-Baltic | anśtas | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énǵʰus | narrow, tight |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enǵʰ- | to constrict, tighten, compress; narrow, tight;... |
via English fro
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | fro | From; away; back or backward; Clipping of afro |
| 2 | Middle English | fro | from |
| 3 | Old English | fra | from |
| 4 | Old Norse | frá | from, away from, about; away; hence, henceforth |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fram | from; by, due to; forth, forward |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | framaz | forward, prominent |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | prom- | forth, 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 |
via Middle English froward
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | froward | — |