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