Freckle
/ˈfrɛk.əl/noun
A small, flat, light-brown spot on the skin, often becoming more noticeable in sunlight.
Did you know?The word is closely connected to Old Norse frekna and Old English frecne, but linguists still debate the deeper prehistoric root behind the Germanic word.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*frakanō
“A freckle or small spot; the reconstructed ancestor of later Germanic forms.”
Old Norse
Old Norse
freknur
“Freckles; the plural form of frekna.”
Old English
Old English
frecne
“Freckled or marked with small spots.”
Middle English
Middle English
freken
“Freckles or spots on the skin.”
15th Century
English
freckle
“A small brownish spot on the skin.”
Modern English
English
freckle
“A small, flat pigmented spot, especially one intensified by sunlight.”