Etymograph

English

frolic

Frolic comes from Dutch vrolijk ‘cheerful’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *frawaz ‘happy, energetic’.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frawaz‘happy, energetic’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frawalīkaz‘cheerful, merry’reconstructed
  3. Old Dutchc. 500–1150frōlīk
  4. Middle Dutchc. 1150–1500vrolijc
  5. Dutchc. 1500–presentvrolijk‘cheerful’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1645frolic

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frawaz‘happy, energetic’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frawalīkaz‘cheerful, merry’reconstructed
  3. Old Dutchc. 500–1150frōlīk
  4. Middle Dutchc. 1150–1500vrolijc
  5. Dutchc. 1500–presentvrolijk‘cheerful’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1645frolic

Earliest quotation: 1645, John Milton, L’Allegro: “The frolick wind that breathes the Spring, Zephyr with…”

The story

The first element, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *frawaz, is cognate with Middle English frow (‘hasty’); the latter element, ultimately from *-līkaz, is cognate with -ly.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *prew- ‘to jump, hop’

frog, frosh, 2 more

Today it means

adj Merry, joyous, full of mirth; later especially, frolicsome, sportive, full of playful mischief.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *frawaz / frolic

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