Where does “fri” come from?

fri (Swedish) 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 (Swedish): free, unconstrained; free, not imprisoned,...

Definitions

  1. free, unconstrained; free, not imprisoned,...

Ancestry of “fri”, step by step

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

Words derived from “fri

Every word from Proto-Indo-European preyH-
fri — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer