Where does “fret” come from?
fret (Middle English) comes from Middle English frēten, from Old French freter, from Old French fret, from Middle Dutch vrecht, from Old Dutch frēht, from Proto-Germanic fra-, from Proto-Indo-European pro-, from Proto-Indo-European por- — passed , crossed.
fret (Middle English): Eating up; wearing away
Definitions
- Eating up; wearing away
Ancestry of “fret”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | frēten | to eat; to devour, eat up; to bite, chew; to... |
| 2 | Old French | freter | to fret |
| 3 | Old French | fret | charge; past participle of fraindre |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | vrecht | Alternative form of vracht; cost of transport |
| 5 | Old Dutch | frēht | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | fra- | off, away; completely, fully, up |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |