Where does “frei” come from?

frei (German) comes 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.

frei (German): free; unenslaved; unimprisoned; free;...

Definitions

  1. free; unenslaved; unimprisoned; free;...

Ancestry of “frei”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanvrî
2Old High Germanfrīfree
3Proto-West Germanicfrīfree
4Proto-Germanicfrijazfree
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanpriHósdear, beloved; happy, free
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanpreyH-to love, to please

Words derived from “frei

Every word from Proto-Indo-European preyH-