fright

fright · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*pr̥k-“to fear”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*furhtį̄“fear”
3. Old English · inherited fromfryhtu
4. Middle English · inherited fromfright
5. English todayfright

From Middle English fright, furht, from Old English fryhtu, fyrhto (“fright, fear, dread, trembling, horrible sight”), from Proto-Germanic *furhtį̄ (“fear”), from Proto-Indo-European *pr̥k- (“to fear”). Cognate with Scots fricht (“fright”), Old Frisian fruchte (“fright”), Low German frucht (“fright”), Middle Dutch vrucht, German Furcht (“fear, fright”), Danish frygt (“fear”), Swedish fruktan (“fear, fright, dread”), Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌷𐍄𐌴𐌹 (faurhtei, “fear, horror, fright”). Compare possibly Albanian frikë (“fear, fright, dread, danger”).

fright · adjective²

1. Old English · inherited fromāfyrht
2. Middle English · inherited fromafright
3. English todayfright

Probably short for affright, from Middle English afright, from Old English āfyrht, past participle of āfyrhtan (“to make afraid; terrify”).

Words from the same roots