freo

See also: Freo

Galician

Etymology

From Old Portuguese frẽo, from Latin frēnum.

Noun

freo m (plural freos)

1. brake

Related terms

• frear

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Irish

Alternative forms

• freob

Pronunciation

• (Cois Fharraige) IPA^(key): /fˠɾˠoːbˠ/ (corresponding to the variant freob)

Pronoun

freo (emphatic freosan)

1. third-person plural of fré

References

• Tomás de Bhaldraithe, 1977, Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge: An Deilbhíocht, 2nd edition, Dublin: Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, section 306.

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Old English

Alternative forms

• frīo, freoh, frioh, friġ, frī, frȳ

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *frijaz, from Proto-Indo-European *preyH- (“like, love”). Germanic cognates include Old Frisian frī (West Frisian frij), Old Saxon frī, Old Dutch frī (Dutch vrij), Old High German frī (German frei), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌴𐌹𐍃 (freis). The Indo-European root is also the source of Albanian 'Prenda' goddess of love, Perëndi (“God”), Proto-Slavic *prijateljь, Old Irish ríar (Welsh rhydd (“free”)), and perhaps Ancient Greek πρᾶος (prâos, “mild, gentle”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /freːo̯/

Adjective

frēo

1. free, at liberty; exempt
   • c. 890, Alfred the Great, Laws

     Beo he freo

     he shall be free.

2. (poetic) noble, glad
   • c. 700 Cædmon, Metrical Paraphrase

     Ða wearþ worn afeded freora bearna

     then a number of noble children were brought forth.

Declension

Weak							Strong
case	singular			plural			case	singular			plural
	m	n	f					m	n	f	m	n	f
nominative	frēwa	frēwe	frēwe	frēwan			nom.	frēo	frēo	frēu	frēwe	frēu, -frēwe	frēwa, -e
accusative	frēwan	frēwe	frēwan				acc.	frēone	frēo	frēwe	frēwe	frēu, -frēwe	frēwa, -frēwe
genitive	frēwan			frēora, frēwena			gen.	frēwes	frēwes	frēore	frēora
dative	frēwan			frēwum			dat.	frēwum	frēwum	frēore	frēwum
							instrumental	frēwe

Derived terms

• frēolīċ
• frēolīċe

Related terms

• frēond
• frēoġan
• friþ
• frīġ

Descendants

• Middle English: fre
  • English: free
  • Scots: fre

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *frawjǭ, a feminine form of *frawjô (“lord”) (Old English frēa), from Proto-Indo-European *proHwo-, a derivation from *per- (“to go forward”). Cognate with Old Saxon frūa, Old High German frouwa (German Frau), Old Norse freyja. The Indo-European root is also the source of Proto-Slavic *prāvъ (Old Church Slavonic правъ (pravŭ), Russian пра́вый (právyj, “right”)), and the first element of Latin provincia.

Noun

frēo f

1. (Northumbria) a woman
   • c. 700, Cædmon, Metrical Paraphrase

     oþ-ðæt he funde frēo fægroste

     until he found the fairest woman

Related terms

• frēa