freet
See also: Freet
English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology
editFrom Middle English frete (“superstition”), from Old Norse frétt (“news, intelligence, inquiry, inquiry about the future”), from Proto-Germanic *frihtiz (“news, report, message, question, prophecy”), related to Icelandic frétt (“news”), Icelandic frétta (“to review”), Danish and Norwegian fritte (“to question, interrogate”), English frain (“to question”). More at frain.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editfreet (plural freets)
- A superstitious notion or belief with respect to any action or event as a good or a bad omen; a superstition.
- 1824, John Mactaggart, The Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopedia, page 263:
- If the old “freet” be true “ that those who fall when at the handspake aneath the corpse, will soon be the corpse themsell," there would soon be a good few corspes; for at these "druken" concerns, the bearers are falling some of them every now and then.
- A superstitious rite, observance, wont, or practise.
- 1903, Samual Ferguson, The Fairy Well of Lagnanay:
- Oh, sister Ellen, sister sweet, Come with me to the hill I pray, And I will prove that blessed freet!
- A charm.
Derived terms
editAnagrams
editLuxembourgish
editVerb
editfreet
- inflection of freeën:
Verb
editfreet
Middle English
editVerb
editfreet
- alternative simple past of frēten.
- 1390, William Langland, Piers Ploughman:
- Adam freet of that fruit, And forsook The love of our Lord.
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
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- English terms inherited from Middle English
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- English terms derived from Old Norse
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
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- English countable nouns
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- Luxembourgish non-lemma forms
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