Etymology Explorer › Middle High German

Where does “vrī” come from?

vrī (Middle High German) comes from Old High German frī, from Proto-West Germanic frī, from Proto-Germanic frijaz, from Proto-Indo-European priHós, from Proto-Indo-European preyH- — to love, to please.

Ancestry of “vrī”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old High Germanfrī—
2Proto-West Germanicfrīfree
3Proto-Germanicfrijazfree
4Proto-Indo-EuropeanpriHósdear, beloved; happy, free
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanpreyH-to love, to please

Words derived from “vrī”

  • frei
Every word from Proto-Indo-European preyH- →