Where does “fraught” come from?
fraught (Middle English) comes from Dutch vracht, from Middle Dutch vracht, from Middle Low German vracht, from Old Saxon frāht, from Proto-Germanic fra-, from Proto-Indo-European pro-, from Proto-Indo-European por-, from Proto-Indo-European per- — passed , crossed.
Ancestry of “fraught”, step by step
fraught traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch vracht
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | vracht | freight; a large amount, a mass |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | vracht | payment for cargo; freight, load, cargo |
| 3 | Middle Low German | vracht | freight money |
| 4 | Old Saxon | frāht | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | fra- | off, away; completely, fully, up |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via Middle Low German vrecht
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | vrecht | payment for cargo; cost of transport |