Where does “fri” come from?

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

fri (Norwegian Nynorsk): free, not imprisoned or enslaved; free, not...

Definitions

  1. free, not imprisoned or enslaved; free, not...

Ancestry of “fri”, step by step

fri traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle Low German vrī

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Low Germanvrīfree
2Old Saxonfrīfree
3Proto-West Germanicfrīfree
4Proto-Germanicfrijazfree
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanpriHósdear, beloved; happy, free
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanpreyH-to love, to please

via Old Norse frjá

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsefrjáto free; to love; to love
2Proto-Germanicfrijōnąto love; to free; to like
3Proto-Indo-Europeanprāy-to like, love

Words derived from “fri”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European preyH- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European priHós →Every word from Proto-Germanic frijaz →