Where does “vrîheit” come from?
vrîheit (German) comes from Danish frihed, from Danish fri, from Middle Low German vrīen, from Old Saxon friohon, from Proto-West Germanic frijōn, from Proto-Germanic frijōną, from Proto-Indo-European prāy- — to like, love.
Ancestry of “vrîheit”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danish | frihed | freedom; liberty; exemption |
| 2 | Danish | fri | to propose; free; vacant, unoccupied |
| 3 | Middle Low German | vrīen | to free; to marry |
| 4 | Old Saxon | friohon | to free, to liberate; to like, to love, to honour |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | frijōn | to love |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | frijōną | to love; to free; to like |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | prāy- | to like, love |