Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “Freund” come from?

Freund (German) comes from Middle High German vriunt, from Old High German friunt, from Proto-West Germanic friund, from Proto-Germanic frijōndz, from Proto-Indo-European prēy- — to like, love; like, love.

Freund (German): friend; boyfriend; blood relative

Definitions

  1. friend; boyfriend; blood relative

Ancestry of “Freund”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanvriunt—
2Old High Germanfriuntfriend
3Proto-West Germanicfriundfriend
4Proto-Germanicfrijōndzfriend, loved one
5Proto-Indo-Europeanprēy-to like, love; like, love

Words derived from “Freund”

  • Busenfreund
  • Freundchen
  • Menschenfreund
  • Brieffreund
  • Fickfreund
Every word from Proto-Indo-European prēy- →