Where does “sinnfrei” come from?
sinnfrei (German) comes from German -frei, from Danish -fri, from Swedish fri, from Middle Low German vrī, from Old Saxon frī, from Proto-West Germanic frī, from Proto-Germanic frijaz, from Proto-Indo-European priHós — to love, to please.
sinnfrei (German): senseless, inane, absurd
Ancestry of “sinnfrei”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | German | -frei | -free |
| 2 | Danish | -fri | free from; without |
| 3 | Swedish | fri | free, unconstrained; free, not imprisoned,... |
| 4 | Middle Low German | vrī | — |
| 5 | Old Saxon | frī | — |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | frī | free |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | frijaz | free |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | priHós | dear, beloved; happy, free |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | preyH- | to love, to please |