freond

Middle English

Noun

freond

1. (Early Middle English, West Midland or Southern) alternative form of frend

Old English

Alternative forms

• frīond — Mercian, Northumbrian, Kentish

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *friund, from Proto-Germanic *frijōndz, originally a present participle of the weak verb *frijōną (“to love, to free”) (Old English frēoġan), from Proto-Indo-European *preyH- (“to like, love”). Corresponding to frēoġan +‎ -nd.

Cognate with Old Frisian friūnd, Old Saxon friund, Old High German friunt, Old Norse frændi, Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌾𐍉𐌽𐌳𐍃 (frijōnds).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fre͜oːnd/

Noun

frēond m

1. friend
   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, John 15:15

     Ne telle iċ ēow tō þēowan ... Iċ tealde ēow tō frēondum...

     I don't consider you servants ... I considered you friends...

   • late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies

     Ġyf þonne ǣfre ġebyreð þæt þū þē ful hālne and ful trumne onġytst, and hæafst æalle þīne frēond myd þē, ǣġðer ġe on mōde ġe on līchaman, and on ðām ilċan worce and on ðām ylċan willum ðe ðē best lyst dōn, hweðer þū ðonne wille bēon āwiht blīðe?

     If then it ever happen that thou sċhalt find thyself full whole and full strong, and hast all thy friends with thee, both in mind and in body, and in that same work and in that same will which pleaseth thee best to do, wilt thou then be happy at all?

2. (rare) lover

Usage notes

• In Late Old English, the dative singular is often frēonde and the nominative/accusative plural is often frēondas.

Declension

Strong nd-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	frēond	frīend, frēond, frēondas
accusative	frēond	frīend, frēond, frēondas
genitive	frēondes	frēonda
dative	frīend, frēonde	frēondum

Synonyms

• (lover): lufiend
• wine (poetic)

Antonyms

• fēond

Derived terms

• frēondlēas
• frēondlīċ
• frēondlufu
• frēondsċipe
• frīend wyrċan
• ġefrīend

Descendants

• Middle English: frend, frende, friend, vrend, freend, frond, frund, freind, freynde, vryend, frind, freond (early or Western), froend (Herebert)
  • English: friend (see there for further descendants)
  • Scots: freend, frende, freynd, freind
  • Yola: vriene, friend
  • → Welsh: ffrind

See also

• cūþ (“acquaintance”)