Etymograph

English

frightful

Frightful comes from Middle English frightful ‘afraid’, from Old English forhtfull ‘fainthearted, timorous’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pr̥k- ‘fear’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr̥k-‘fear’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*furhtaz‘fearful, afraid’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*furhtreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150forht‘afraid’
  5. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150forhtfull‘fainthearted, timorous’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500frightful‘afraid’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1250same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr̥k-‘fear’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*furhtaz‘fearful, afraid’reconstructed
  3. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*furhtreconstructed
  4. Old Englishc. 450–1150forht‘afraid’
  5. Old English, derivedc. 450–1150forhtfull‘fainthearted, timorous’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500frightful‘afraid’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1250same form

Earliest quotation: c. 1250, Genesis and Exodus: “Ðis frigtful ðus a-biden”.

Formed from fright + -ful

Proto-Indo-European *pr̥k- ‘to fear’

Proto-Germanic *furhtį̄ ‘fear’

Old English fryhtu

Middle English fright ‘a fright or scare’

English fright

Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *pr̥k-

Today it means

adj Afraid, frightened.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pr̥k- / frightful

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