English
afraid
Afraid comes from Middle English affrayed, past participle of afraien ‘to affray’, from Anglo-Norman afrayer ‘to terrify’, ultimately from Frankish *friþu ‘peace’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*priHós‘beloved’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frijaz‘free’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*friþuz‘peace’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*friþu‘security, peace’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400freer‘to secure’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400effreer‘to disturb’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400afrayer‘to terrify’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500afraien‘to affray’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500affrayedpast participle of afraien
- Englishearliest quotation 1964afraid
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*priHós‘beloved’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frijaz‘free’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*friþuz‘peace’reconstructed
- Frankishc. 250–700*friþu‘security, peace’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400freer‘to secure’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400effreer‘to disturb’
- Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400afrayer‘to terrify’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500afraien‘to affray’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500affrayedpast participle of afraien
- Englishearliest quotation 1964afraid
Earliest quotation: 1964, Harry S. Truman, Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum: “I went through the worst Ku Klux proposition in…”
Equivalent to affray + -ed
Proto-Indo-European *preyH- ‘to please’
…
Latin ex ‘out of, from’
Vulgar Latin *exfridāre ‘to frighten’
Anglo-Norman afrayer ‘to terrify, disquiet, disturb’
Middle English affraien ‘to terrify, frighten’
English affray
Linked words
through Proto-Germanic *frijōną ‘to free’
through Proto-Germanic *friþuz ‘peace’
through Frankish *friþu ‘security, peace’
through Anglo-Norman afrayer ‘to terrify, disquiet, disturb’
Today it means
adj Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *priHós / afraid