*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of frith

From Middle English frith, from Old English friþ, friþu (“peace, tranquility, security, refuge”), from Proto-West Germanic *friþu, from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace, reconciliation”), from Proto-Indo-European *priHós (

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

Peace; security. · Sanctuary, asylum.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English frith, from Old English friþ, friþu (“peace, tranquility, security, refuge”), from Proto-West Germanic *friþu, from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace, reconciliation”), from Proto-Indo-European *priHós (“beloved, happy”). Cognate with Dutch vrede (“peace, quiet, tranquility”), German Frieden (“peace, tranquility”), Danish fred (“peace, serenity”), Swedish frid (“peace, serenity”), Icelandic friður (“peace, tranquility”). Related to free.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Derivation mentionfrithenm
  • Derivation mentionfriþang
  • Derivation mention*friþugmw-pro
  • Derivation mention*friþuzgem-pro · peace, reconciliation
  • Derivation mention*priHósine-pro · beloved, happy
  • Cognate mentionvredenl · peace, quiet, tranquility
  • Cognate mentionFriedende · peace, tranquility
  • Cognate mentionfredda · peace, serenity
  • Cognate mentionfridsv · peace, serenity
  • Cognate mentionfriðuris · peace, tranquility
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {},
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "frith"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English frith"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "friþ"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English friþ"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*friþu"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *friþu"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*friþuz",
        "t": "peace, reconciliation"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace, reconciliation”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*priHós",
        "t": "beloved, happy"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *priHós (“beloved, happy”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "vrede",
        "t": "peace, quiet, tranquility"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch vrede (“peace, quiet, tranquility”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Frieden",
        "t": "peace, tranquility"
      },
      "expansion": "German Frieden (“peace, tranquility”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "fred",
        "t": "peace, serenity"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish fred (“peace, serenity”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "frid",
        "t": "peace, serenity"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish frid (“peace, serenity”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "friður",
        "t": "peace, tranquility"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic friður (“peace, tranquility”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "frith",
      "frith#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "friþ",
      "friþ#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "friþu",
      "friþu#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*friþu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/friþu"
    ],
    [
      "*friþuz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/friþuz"
    ],
    [
      "*priHós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/priHós"
    ],
    [
      "vrede",
      "vrede#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Frieden",
      "Frieden#German"
    ],
    [
      "fred",
      "fred#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "frid",
      "frid#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "friður",
      "friður#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "free",
      "free#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Peace; security.",
        "Sanctuary, asylum."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "poetic",
        "rare",
        "uncountable",
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "a91cc6d09219872cc1a3954d96a7f1884c080b649b8d71b6f48b85cd0c320a38",
      "rawRecordSha256": "97e71db480a38a2827716186a4831d2d4b197e2b12d2db29cbc62afe97ff0468",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 437715
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To protect; guard. · To enclose; fence in, as a forest or park.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English frithen, from Old English friþian (“to give frith to, make peace with, be at peace with, cherish, protect, guard, defend, keep, observe”), from Proto-Germanic *friþōną (“to make peace, secure, protect”), from Proto-Indo-European *prēy-, *prāy- (“to like, love”). Cognate with Scots frethe, freith (“to set free, liberate”), Danish frede (“to have peace, protect, inclose, fence in”), Swedish freda (“to cover, protect, quiet, inclose, fence in”), Icelandic friða (“to make peace, preserve”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Derivation mentionfrithenenm
  • Derivation mentionfriþianang · to give frith to, make peace with, be at peace with, cherish, protect, guard, defend, keep, observe
  • Derivation mention*friþōnągem-pro · to make peace, secure, protect
  • Derivation mention*prēy-ine-pro
  • Cognate mentionfrethesco
  • Cognate mentionfrededa · to have peace, protect, inclose, fence in
  • Cognate mentionfredasv · to cover, protect, quiet, inclose, fence in
  • Cognate mentionfriðais · to make peace, preserve
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "frithen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English frithen"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "friþian",
        "t": "to give frith to, make peace with, be at peace with, cherish, protect, guard, defend, keep, observe"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English friþian (“to give frith to, make peace with, be at peace with, cherish, protect, guard, defend, keep, observe”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*friþōną",
        "t": "to make peace, secure, protect"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *friþōną (“to make peace, secure, protect”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*prēy-"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *prēy-"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "frethe"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots frethe"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "frede",
        "t": "to have peace, protect, inclose, fence in"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish frede (“to have peace, protect, inclose, fence in”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "freda",
        "t": "to cover, protect, quiet, inclose, fence in"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish freda (“to cover, protect, quiet, inclose, fence in”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "friða",
        "t": "to make peace, preserve"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic friða (“to make peace, preserve”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "frithen",
      "frithen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "friþian",
      "friþian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*friþōną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/friþōną"
    ],
    [
      "*prēy-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/prēy-"
    ],
    [
      "*prāy-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/prāy-"
    ],
    [
      "frethe",
      "frethe#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "freith",
      "freith#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "frede",
      "frede#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "freda",
      "freda#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "friða",
      "friða#Icelandic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To protect; guard.",
        "To enclose; fence in, as a forest or park."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ],
      "recordId": "cffc3e4c0a6df86465479edc030795bf255f313a35b705b96ac5e12782ad6cb0",
      "rawRecordSha256": "9ee940c31213ff6883ce2e3bd6d35720cdf0e7004c2c7837a1ced9931834092e",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 437716
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A forest or wood; woodland generally. · Land with mostly undergrowth and few trees; also, land in between forests or woods; pastureland which is not in use. · Brushwood or undergrowth, sometimes in the form of a hedge. · A hedge, especially one made from brushwood which has been wattled; also, a movable frame made from wattled branches, a hurdle.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English frith (“forest, woodland; hedging”), from Old English fyrhþe, fyrhþ (“forest, wooded country; game preserve, hunting ground”), from Proto-West Germanic *furhiþi (“forest, woodland”), Proto-Germanic *furhiþją (“forest, wooded country”), *furhiþǭ, from *furhu (“fir; pine”), from *furahō, *furhō (“fir; pine; (fir or pine) forest”), from Proto-Indo-European *pérkus (“oak”), from *perkʷ- (“oak”). The English word is cognate with Latin quercus (“oak”), Old English fyrh (“fir, pine”), Old High German forst, foreht (“forest”), Old Norse fýri (“pine-wood, coniferous forest”). Latin foresta (whence eventually English forest), may be borrowed from the same West Germanic source.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Root classification mention*perkʷ-ine-pro
  • Inherited-form mentionfrithenm · forest, woodland; hedging
  • Inherited-form mentionfyrhþeang
  • Inherited-form mention*furhiþigmw-pro · forest, woodland
  • Inherited-form mention*furhiþjągem-pro · forest, wooded country
  • Derivation mention*pérkusine-pro · oak
  • Cognate mentionquercusla · oak
  • Cognate mentionfyrhang · fir, pine
  • Cognate mentionforstgoh
  • Cognate mentionfýrinon · pine-wood, coniferous forest
  • Cognate mentionforestala
  • Doublet mentionforesten

This page abbreviates 1 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*perkʷ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "frith",
        "t": "forest, woodland; hedging"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English frith (“forest, woodland; hedging”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "fyrhþe"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English fyrhþe"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "2"
      },
      "expansion": "²"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*furhiþi",
        "t": "forest, woodland"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *furhiþi (“forest, woodland”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*furhiþją",
        "t": "forest, wooded country"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *furhiþją (“forest, wooded country”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*pérkus",
        "t": "oak"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *pérkus (“oak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "quercus",
        "t": "oak"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin quercus (“oak”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "fyrh",
        "t": "fir, pine"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English fyrh (“fir, pine”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "forst"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German forst"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "non",
        "2": "fýri",
        "t": "pine-wood, coniferous forest"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse fýri (“pine-wood, coniferous forest”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "la",
        "2": "foresta"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin foresta"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "forest",
        "notext": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "forest"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "frith",
      "frith#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "fyrhþe",
      "fyrhþe#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "fyrhþ",
      "fyrhþ#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*furhiþi",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/furhiþi"
    ],
    [
      "*furhiþją",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/furhiþją"
    ],
    [
      "*furhiþǭ",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/furhiþǭ"
    ],
    [
      "*furhu",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/furhu"
    ],
    [
      "*furahō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/furahō"
    ],
    [
      "*furhō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/furhō"
    ],
    [
      "*pérkus",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/pérkus"
    ],
    [
      "*perkʷ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/perkʷ-"
    ],
    [
      "quercus",
      "quercus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "fyrh",
      "fyrh#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "forst",
      "forst#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "foreht",
      "foreht#Old_High_German"
    ],
    [
      "fýri",
      "fýri#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "foresta",
      "foresta#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "forest",
      "forest#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A forest or wood; woodland generally.",
        "Land with mostly undergrowth and few trees; also, land in between forests or woods; pastureland which is not in use.",
        "Brushwood or undergrowth, sometimes in the form of a hedge.",
        "A hedge, especially one made from brushwood which has been wattled; also, a movable frame made from wattled branches, a hurdle."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "dialectal"
      ],
      "recordId": "f4b7c17e6efe1c87e9bf4123bd3f63d2350ba2bc8ac84ed221b20ed9b931f83c",
      "rawRecordSha256": "a4f5fb0609ca49fbb52bea454b88adf6fd585c13a07e758520d7adf634d252d5",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 437717
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 1,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

Alternative form of firth (“an arm or inlet of the sea”).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

A metathetic variant of firth.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "metathetic"
      },
      "expansion": "metathetic"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "firth",
      "firth#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "Alternative form of firth (“an arm or inlet of the sea”)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "alt-of",
        "alternative",
        "archaic"
      ],
      "recordId": "f399e8cd6764376ff0dc2fdbe761cd60c6253c3602567565e1881dc552fa45f4",
      "rawRecordSha256": "3d9789f4b4a85a3730c51f801f20da99a1a9fd7d6152a8ee8be751235c1a7086",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 437718
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for frith →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZnJpdGg