frith

frith · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*priHós“beloved, happy”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*friþuz“peace, reconciliation”
3. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*friþu
4. Old English · derived fromfriþ
5. Middle English · derived fromfrith
6. English todayfrith

From Middle English frith, from Old English friþ, friþu (“peace, tranquility, security, refuge”), from Proto-West Germanic *friþu, from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace, reconciliation”), from Proto-Indo-European *priHós (“beloved, happy”). Cognate with Dutch vrede (“peace, quiet, tranquility”), German Frieden (“peace, tranquility”), Danish fred (“peace, serenity”), Swedish frid (“peace, serenity”), Icelandic friður (“peace, tranquility”). Related to free.

frith · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*prēy-
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*friþōną“to make peace, secure, protect”
3. Old English · derived fromfriþian“to give frith to, make peace with, be at peace with, cherish, protect, guard, defend, keep, observe”
4. Middle English · derived fromfrithen
5. English todayfrith

From Middle English frithen, from Old English friþian (“to give frith to, make peace with, be at peace with, cherish, protect, guard, defend, keep, observe”), from Proto-Germanic *friþōną (“to make peace, secure, protect”), from Proto-Indo-European *prēy-, *prāy- (“to like, love”). Cognate with Scots frethe, freith (“to set free, liberate”), Danish frede (“to have peace, protect, inclose, fence in”), Swedish freda (“to cover, protect, quiet, inclose, fence in”), Icelandic friða (“to make peace, preserve”).

frith · noun³

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*pérkus“oak”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*furhiþją“forest, wooded country”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*furhiþi“forest, woodland”
4. Old English · inherited fromfyrhþe
5. Middle English · inherited fromfrith“forest, woodland; hedging”
6. English todayfrith

From Middle English frith (“forest, woodland; hedging”), from Old English fyrhþe, fyrhþ (“forest, wooded country; game preserve, hunting ground”), from Proto-West Germanic *furhiþi (“forest, woodland”), Proto-Germanic *furhiþją (“forest, wooded country”), *furhiþǭ, from *furhu (“fir; pine”), from *furahō, *furhō (“fir; pine; (fir or pine) forest”), from Proto-Indo-European *pérkus (“oak”), from *perkʷ- (“oak”). The English word is cognate with Latin quercus (“oak”), Old English fyrh (“fir, pine”), Old High German forst, foreht (“forest”), Old Norse fýri (“pine-wood, coniferous forest”). Latin foresta (whence eventually English forest), may be borrowed from the same West Germanic source.

frith · noun⁴

A metathetic variant of firth.

Frith · proper noun⁵

English and Scottish surname, spelling variant of Firth.

Words from the same roots