Etymograph

English

frum

Frum comes from Yiddish פֿרום ‘pious’, from Middle High German vrume ‘efficient, good, righteous’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pr- ‘before, formerly’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr-‘before, formerly’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frumôreconstructed
  3. Old High Germanc. 750–1050fruma‘benefit’
  4. Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350vrume‘efficient, good, righteous’
  5. Yiddishmodernפֿרוםfrum‘pious’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1979frum

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr-‘before, formerly’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frumôreconstructed
  3. Old High Germanc. 750–1050fruma‘benefit’
  4. Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350vrume‘efficient, good, righteous’
  5. Yiddishmodernפֿרוםfrum‘pious’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1979frum

Earliest quotation: 1979, Clive Sinclair, Hearts of Gold: “I learned all about the role of the kibbutz…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *pr- ‘before, formerly’

foremost, veneer, 1 more

through Proto-Germanic *frumô

former, 1 more

Today it means

adj Pious, observant; committed to obeying all the laws of Judaism.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *pr- / frum

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