Where does “-fre” come from?
-fre (Middle English) comes from Old English -frēo, from Old English frēo, from Proto-Germanic *frī, from Proto-Germanic frijaz, from Proto-Indo-European priHós, from Proto-Indo-European preyH- — to love, to please.
Ancestry of “-fre”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | -frēo | — |
| 2 | Old English | frēo | free, joyful |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *frī | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | frijaz | free |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | priHós | dear, beloved; happy, free |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | preyH- | to love, to please |
Words derived from “-fre”