Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/frawjǭ

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

A feminine form of *frawjô (“lord”), from Proto-Indo-European *proHwo-, a derivation from *per- (“to go forward”). The Indo-European root is also the source of Proto-Slavic *pravъ (whence Old Church Slavonic правъ (pravŭ), Russian пра́вый (právyj, “right”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɸrɑw.jɔ̃ː/

Noun

*frawjǭ f

1. lady, wife of a lord (woman of high standing)

Inflection

ōn-stemDeclension of *frawjǭ (ōn-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*frawjǭ	*frawjōniz
vocative	*frawjǭ	*frawjōniz
accusative	*frawjōnų	*frawjōnunz
genitive	*frawjōniz	*frawjōnǫ̂
dative	*frawjōni	*frawjōmaz
instrumental	*frawjōnē	*frawjōmiz

Related terms

• *frawjaz
• *frawjô

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *frauwjā
  • Old English: frōwe
  • >? Old English: frēo
  • Old Frisian: frowe, frouwe
    • West Frisian: frou
  • Old Saxon: frūa
    • Middle Low German: vrûwe, vrouwe
      • German Low German: Froo
      • Plautdietsch: Fru, Frü
      • → Finnish: rouva
    • → Old Norse: frú, frúa, frúva
      • Icelandic: frú
      • Faroese: frúgv, frú
      • Norwegian: fru, frue
      • Swedish: fru, fruga
      • Danish: frue, fru
  • Old Dutch: frouwa
    • Middle Dutch: vrouwe
      • Dutch: vrouwe (“lady”), vrouw (“woman”)
        • Afrikaans: vrou
        • Negerhollands: vro, vrou, frou, fru, vrow
          • → Virgin Islands Creole: fru (dated)
        • → Aukan: folow
        • → English: vrouw
        • → Sranan Tongo: frow
      • Limburgish: vrówwe, vrów
      • → English: frow
  • Old High German: frouwa
    • Middle High German: vrouwe, vrowe
      • Alemannic German: Frau

        Alsatian: Fràui, Fràù, Frài, Froi, Fròi, Fraù, Frœy, Fráw, Frá

        Walser: frou

      • Bavarian: Frau

        Cimbrian: brau

      • Central Franconian:

        Hunsrik: Fraa

      • East Central German:

        Silesian East Central German: Froo

      • German: Frau, Fr.; Fraue; Fraw, Frawe
        • Unserdeutsch: Frau
        • → English: frau
        • → Russian: фра́у (fráu)
      • Luxembourgish: Fra
      • Rhine Franconian: Fra

        Pennsylvania German: Fraa

        Palatine German: Fraa

      • Vilamovian: fraoj
      • Yiddish: פֿרוי (froy)
• Old Norse: freyja
  • Icelandic: freyja
  • Old Swedish: -prea