frith

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /fɹɪθ/

Etymology 1

Wikipedia

From Middle English, from Old English friþ, friþu (“peace, tranquility, security, refuge”), from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace, reconciliation”), from Proto-Indo-European *prēy-, *prāy- (“to like, love”). Cognate with Dutch vrede (“peace, quiet, tranquility”), German Frieden (“peace, tranquility”), Swedish frid (“peace, serenity”), Icelandic friður (“peace, tranquility”). Related to free.

Noun

frith (uncountable)

1. (rare or archaic) Peace; security.
2. (obsolete) Sanctuary, asylum.

Usage notes

• (peace): This sense is obsolete, except that it has recently been revived among followers of Heathenry. When used by Heathens, it is fairly synonymous with the slightly less rare English word comity.

Etymology 2

From Middle English frithien, from Old English friþian (“to give frith to, make peace with, be at peace with, cherish, protect, guard, defend, keep, observe”), from Proto-Germanic *friþōnan (“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”).

Verb

frith (third-person singular simple present friths, present participle frithing, simple past and past participle frithed)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To protect; guard.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To inclose; fence in, as a forest or park.

Etymology 3

From Middle English frith, firth (“forest, game preserve”), from Old English fyrhþe, fyrhþ (“forest, sparse woodland, game preserve”), from Proto-Germanic *furhiþja- (“fir-wood, forest”), from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷu- (“coniferous forest, mountain forest, wooded height”). Cognate with Old High German forst, foreht (“forest”), Old Norse fȳri (“pine-wood, coniferous forest”), Old English fyrh (“fir, pine”). More at forest.

Noun

frith (plural friths)

1. a wood, woodland, forest; undergrowth, brushwood

Etymology 4

See firth.

Noun

frith (plural friths)

1. Alternative form of firth.

Anagrams

• firth

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Scottish Gaelic

Adjective

frith

1. little, small

Usage notes

• Always used before the noun it qualifies.
• Usually used as a prefix.

Derived terms

• frith-