Freeman
/ˈfriː.mən/noun
A person who is not enslaved and is legally or socially independent.
Did you know?In medieval English law, being a freeman could mean belonging to a privileged class with rights in a town or guild, so “freedom” was once a formal social spell of status, not just a personal idea.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*prih₁-
“to love, to be dear”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*frijaz
“free; beloved”
Old English
OE
frēo mann
“a free person; one not in bondage”
Middle English
ME
fre man
“a man who is free, especially one with legal rights and status”
Modern English
English
freeman
“a man who is free, especially one recognized as having certain rights or privileges”