Where does “på fri fot” come from?

på fri fot (Swedish) comes from Swedish fri, 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.

på fri fot (Swedish): at large, not confined

Definitions

  1. at large, not confined

Ancestry of “på fri fot”, step by step

på fri fot traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Swedish fri

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishfrifree, unconstrained; free, not imprisoned,...
2Middle Low Germanvrīfree
3Old Saxonfrīfree
4Proto-West Germanicfrīfree
5Proto-Germanicfrijazfree
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanpriHósdear, beloved; happy, free
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanpreyH-to love, to please

via Swedish fot

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishfota foot; the body part touching the ground while...
2Old Swedishfōterfoot
3Old Norsefótra foot
4Proto-Germanicfōtsfoot
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpṓdsfoot
6Proto-Indo-Europeanpódsfoot
7Proto-Indo-Europeanped-to walk, to step; to stumble, to fall

via Swedish

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Swedishon, on top of; touching from above; on, against,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European preyH-