Frith

Pronunciation

• IPA: /fɹɪθ/

From Middle English, from Old English friþ, friþu ("peace, tranquility, security, refuge"), from Proto-Germanic *friþuz ("peace, reconciliation"), from Proto-Indo-European *prēy-, *prāy- ("to like, love"). Cognate with Dutch vrede ("peace, quiet, tranquility"), German Frieden ("peace, tranquility"), Swedish frid ("peace, serenity"), Icelandic friður ("peace, tranquility"). Related to free.

Full definition of frith

Noun

1. (rare or archaic) Peace; security.
2. (obsolete) Sanctuary, asylum.

Usage notes

(peace) This sense is obsolete, except that it has recently been revived among followers of Heathenry. When used by Heathens, it is fairly synonymous with the slightly less rare English word comity.

From Middle English frithien, from Old English friþian ("to give frith to, make peace with, be at peace with, cherish, protect, guard, defend, keep, observe"), from Proto-Germanic *friþōną ("to make peace, secure, protect"), from Proto-Indo-European *prēy-, *prāy- ("to like, love"). Cognate with Scots frethe, freith ("to set free, liberate"), Danish frede ("to have peace, protect, inclose, fence in"), Swedish freda ("to cover, protect, quiet, inclose, fence in"), Icelandic friða ("to make peace, preserve").

Verb

1. (transitive, obsolete) To protect; guard.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To inclose; fence in, as a forest or park.

From Middle English frith, firth ("forest, game preserve"), from Old English fyrhþe, fyrhþ ("forest, sparse woodland, game preserve"), from Proto-Germanic *furhiþja- ("fir-wood, forest"), from Proto-Indo-European *perkʷu- ("coniferous forest, mountain forest, wooded height"). Cognate with Old High German forst, foreht ("forest"), Old Norse fýri ("pine-wood, coniferous forest"), Old English fyrh ("fir, pine"). More at forest.

Noun

1. a wood, woodland, forest; undergrowth, brushwood

See firth.

Noun

1. Alternative form of firth
2. (UK) A kind of weir for catching fish.

Anagrams

• firth