Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “freken” come from?

freken (Middle English) comes from Old Norse freknur, from Proto-Germanic sprekalą, from Proto-Indo-European sp(h)er(e)g- — to strew, sprinkle.

Ancestry of “freken”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsefreknurspeckles
2Proto-Germanicsprekaląfreckle
3Proto-Indo-Europeansp(h)er(e)g-to strew, sprinkle

Words derived from “freken”

  • freckled
  • freckle
  • freckly
  • unfreckled
  • befreckled
  • freckleface
  • freckleless
  • frecklesome
  • nonfreckled
  • freckled duck
  • freckledness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European sp(h)er(e)g- →