frainen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• freinen

Etymology

From Old English freġnan (“to inquire, ask”), from fræġn (“question”), originally the preterite of Old English friġnan (“to ask”), from Proto-Germanic *fregnaną (“to ask”), from Proto-Indo-European *preḱ- (“to ask, woo”). Cognate with Middle Dutch vrāghen (“to ask”), Middle High German vrāgen (“to ask”), Old Danish fregne (“to ask”), Lithuanian prašyti (“to ask”), Polish prosić (“to ask”).

Verb

frainen

1. to ask, inquire
2. to question

Related terms

• frain

Descendants

• English: frain