Free
/friː/noun
Not under the control or in the power of another; able to act as one wishes.
Did you know?In Old English, 'frēo' was associated with both freedom and nobility, hinting at a mystical connection between social status and spiritual liberation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*prēy-
“to love, to befriend, to set free.”
Old English
Old English
frēo
“noble, free, not enslaved.”
Old Norse
Old Norse
frjá
“to love, to set free.”
Middle English
Middle English
fre
“not in bondage; enjoying personal rights.”
Modern English
English
free
“not constrained or restricted; liberated from obligations.”