Etymology

freeter

F4R1E1E1T1E1R1

Today it means: In Japan, a young person (typically between the ages of 15-34) who lacks full-time employment (excluding housewives and students), especially through lack of interest in a career. Full definition →

Japanese フリーター ← English free ← German Arbeiter
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The story

  1. German · derived fromArbeiter“labourer”
  2. English · derived fromfree
  3. Japanese · borrowed fromフリーター
  4. English todayfreeter

Borrowed from Japanese フリーター (furītā), possibly from English free and German Arbeiter (“labourer”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.