Etymology

friendly

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Today it means: Generally warm, approachable and easy to relate with in character. Full definition →

Middle English frendly ← Old English frēondlīċ ← Proto-Germanic *frijōndlīkaz
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friendly · adjective, noun1

  1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*frijōndlīkaz
  2. Old English · inherited fromfrēondlīċ
  3. Middle English · inherited fromfrendly
  4. English todayfriendly

From Middle English frendly, freendly, frendely, frendlich, from Old English frēondlīċ, from Proto-Germanic *frijōndlīkaz, equivalent to friend + -ly. Cognate with Saterland Frisian früntelk, fjuntelk (“friendly”), West Frisian freonlik (“friendly”), Dutch vriendelijk (“friendly”), German Low German fründelk, frünnelk (“friendly”), German freundlich (“friendly”). Doublet of friendlike.

friendly · adverb2

  1. Old English · inherited fromfrēondlīċe“in a friendly manner”
  2. Middle English · inherited fromfrendly
  3. English todayfriendly

From Middle English frendly, frendliche, from Old English frēondlīċe (“in a friendly manner”), equivalent to friend + -ly.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.