Afraid Definition

Origin of Afraid

• From Middle English affrayed, affraied, past participle of afraien (“to affray”), from Anglo-Norman afrayer (“to terrify, disquiet, disturb”), from Old French effreer, esfreer (“to disturb, remove the peace from”), from es- (“ex-”) + freer (“to secure, secure the peace”), from Frankish *friþu (“security, peace”), from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace”), from Proto-Germanic *frijōną (“to free; to love”), from Proto-Indo-European *prāy-, *prēy- (“to like, love”). Compare also afeard. More at free, friend.

  From Wiktionary

• Middle English affraied past participle of affraien to frighten from Old French esfraier, esfreer to disturb of Germanic origin prī- in Indo-European roots

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition