Etymograph

English

Friern Barnet

Friern Barnet comes from Middle English frere ‘of the brothers’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰréh₂tēr‘brother’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*frātērreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrater‘brother’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400frere‘brother’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same formas freren‘of the brothers’
  6. EnglishtodayFriern Barnet

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰréh₂tēr‘brother’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*frātērreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrater‘brother’
  4. Old Frenchc. 842–1400frere‘brother’
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same formas freren‘of the brothers’
  6. EnglishtodayFriern Barnet

The story

Friern is from Middle English freren (‘of the brothers’), referring to early possession by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr ‘brother’

brother, bro, pal, brethren, bhai, 11 more

through Latin frater ‘brother’

fraternity, fra, fraternal, friar, frater, 5 more

Today it means

name A suburb in the borough of Barnet, Greater London, England, historically in Middlesex (OS grid ref TQ2792).

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰréh₂tēr / Friern Barnet

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