Where does “befreien” come from?
befreien (German) comes from German frei, from Middle High German vrî, from Old High German frī, from Proto-West Germanic frī, from Proto-Germanic frijaz, from Proto-Indo-European priHós, from Proto-Indo-European preyH- — to love, to please.
befreien (German): to free , to liberate
Ancestry of “befreien”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | frei | free; unenslaved; unimprisoned; free;... |
| 2 | Middle High German | vrî | — |
| 3 | Old High German | frī | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | frī | free |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | frijaz | free |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | priHós | dear, beloved; happy, free |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | preyH- | to love, to please |
Words derived from “befreien”