fru

See also: Fru and frú

Danish

Etymology

A short form of frue (“mistress, lady, wife”). Titles tend to be shortened in a pretonic position in Danish, compare herre > hr. (“Mr.”), konge > kong (“King ...”), greve > grev (“Count ...”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fru/, [ˈfʁ̥u], [ˈfʁ̥o]

Noun

fru (abbreviated fr., uninflected)

1. (title) Mrs

Usage notes

• Used prefixed with a personal name, e.g. Kender De fru Pedersen? (Do you know Mrs Pedersen?").
• It is now used regardless of the marital status of the person, though frøken (“Ms.”) was earlier used when referring to an unmarried woman. In the present Danish language, it is unusual to refer to another person with a title and the last name, even in formal contexts.

Irish

Pronoun

fru (emphatic frusan)

1. alternative form of faru

Mutation

Mutated forms of fru

radical	lenition	eclipsis
fru	fhru	bhfru

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “fru”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Norn

Etymology

From Old Norse frú, from Proto-Germanic *frawjǭ.

Noun

fru f

1. woman
2. wife

Norwegian Bokmål

Noun

fru (abbreviated fr.)

1. Mrs (Used when addressing a married woman followed by her last name - or (usually on letters, etc.) even with her full name)

   God morgen, fru Hansen.

   Good morning, Mrs Hansen.

Related terms

• frue

References

• “fru” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /frʉː/

Noun

fru f (abbreviated fr.)

1. (indeclinable) Mrs (Used when addressing a married woman followed by her last name - or (usually on letters, etc.) even with her full name)

   God morgon, fru Hansen.

   Good morning, Mrs Hansen.

2. (rare) alternative form of frue

References

• “fru” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Anagrams

• fur

Old French

Alternative forms

• friu, fryu
• fros
• *freux (presumably)

Etymology

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *frocum.

Noun

fru oblique singular, m (oblique plural frus, nominative singular frus, nominative plural fru)

1. rook (bird)

Derived terms

• frias
• frion
• fruain

Descendants

• Middle French: freux, freu
  • French: freux
• → Occitan: friè

References

• “fru”, in DEAF: Dictionnaire Étymologique de l'Ancien Français, Heidelberg: Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, 1968-.
• Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002), “*hrôk”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, volume 16: Germanismes: G–R, page 247

Sranan Tongo

Etymology

From Dutch voor.

Preposition

fru

1. Only used in the adverbial phrase wan fru wan (one by one).

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish frugha, from Old Saxon frūa. Doublet of fruga, Freja.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /frʉː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʉː

Noun

fru c

1. wife

   Synonyms: hustru, maka

   Coordinate terms: man, make

3. (dated, formal) Mrs., Missus, lady, madam (respectful term of address or title for a (married) adult female)

   Coordinate term: herr

   Har fru Nilsson ringt än?

   Has Mrs. Nilsson called yet?

   Ja, fru president!

   Yes, Madam President!

   Vad vill frun ha till efterrätt?

   What would you like for dessert, madam? [What would the lady like for dessert?]

Usage notes

Since the you-reform of the 1960s and '70s, using first names is generally preferred, except in the most formal settings. For example, a female speaker of the Riksdag is customarily addressed as fru talman ("Madam Speaker").

Declension

Declension of fru

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	fru	frus
	definite	frun	fruns
plural	indefinite	fruar	fruars
	definite	fruarna	fruarnas

See also

• -ska
• fröken

References

• fru in Svenska Akademiens ordböcker

Anagrams

• fur