fro

See also: Fro, FRO, fró, frø, frö, and 'fro

Translingual

Symbol

fro

1. (international standards) ISO 639-2 & ISO 639-3 language code for Old French.

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): [fɹəʊ]

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊ
• Homophone: froe

Etymology 1

From Middle English fro, fra, from Old English fra (“from”), from Old Norse frá (“from”), from Proto-Germanic *fram (“from”), from Proto-Indo-European *promo- (“forth, forward”). Cognate with Scots frae (“fro, from”), Icelandic frá (“from”). More at from.

Adverb

fro (not comparable)

1. (archaic) From; away; back or backward.

Usage notes

In modern English, used only in the set phrase to and fro (“back and forth”).

Derived terms

• froward
• to and fro
• enfroward

Preposition

fro

1. (obsolete) From.
   • c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC, page 62, lines 15–16:

     The preest that hawkys so,
     All grace is far hym fro.

Etymology 2

Clipping of afro.

Alternative forms

• 'fro

Noun

fro (plural fros)

1. (slang) Clipping of afro (hairstyle).

See also

• fro-yo (etymologically unrelated)

Anagrams

• FOR, ORF, for, for-, orf

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /froːˀ/, [ˈfʁ̥oˀ]

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Middle Low German vrō (“happy”), from Proto-Germanic *frawaz (“energetic”), cognate with German froh, Old Norse frár (“swift”).

Adjective

fro

1. happy, carefree

Derived terms

• skadefro

References

• “fro” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “fro,1” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Middle Low German vrō (“early”, adverb), from Proto-Germanic *frōwaz (“early”), cognate with German früh, Dutch vroeg.

Adverb

fro

1. (obsolete) early

   Synonyms: tidligt, årle

   • 1747, Speculum vitæ aulicæ, eller den fordanskede Reynike Fosz, page 234:

     Heel tilig meget froe, der Solen knap var oppe.

     Quite early, very early when the sun was barely on the heaven.

Derived terms

• frokost
• fromesse
• froprædiken

References

• “fro,2” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Luxembourgish

Verb

fro

1. second-person singular imperative of froen

Middle English

Adverb

fro

1. from
   • 14^th Century, Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, The Knight's Tale

     That if I might skapen fro prisoun

     That if I can escape from prison

Norman

Alternative forms

• froc (Guernsey)

Etymology

From Old French froc (“frock, a monk's gown or habit”), from Frankish *hrokk (“robe, tunic”), from Proto-Germanic *hrukkaz (“robe, garment, cowl”), variant of *rukkaz (“upper garment, smock, shirt”), from Proto-Indo-European *rug(')- (“upper clothes, shirt”).

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

  (Jersey)

Noun

fro m (plural frocs)

1. (Jersey, Guernsey) dress

Synonyms

• robe

Old High German

Alternative forms

• frao, frāo

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *frau, from Proto-Germanic *frawaz, whence also Old Norse frár (“swift”).

Adjective

frō (inflected frawes)

1. glad

Derived terms

• frewida

Descendants

• Middle High German: vrō
  • Bavarian: froh
    • Cimbrian: fròo
  • Central Franconian: fruh, froh
    • Luxembourgish: frou
  • German: froh
  • Silesian East Central German: fruh

Old Saxon

Alternative forms

• fra

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *frawaz, whence also Old Norse frár (“swift”).

Adjective

frō (comparative frōworo, superlative frōwost)

1. glad

Declension

Positive forms of frō

Strong declension
gender	masculine		neuter		feminine
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	frō	frōe	frō	frōe	frō	frōu
accusative	frōana	frōe	frō	frōe	frōa	frōu
genitive	frōes	frōarō	frōes	frōarō	frōaro	frōarō
dative	frōumu	frōum	frōumu	frōum	frōaro	frōum
Weak declension
gender	masculine		neuter		feminine
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	frōo	frōu	frōa	frōu	frōa	frōu
accusative	frōun	frōun	frōa	frōun	frōun	frōun
genitive	frōun	frōonō	frōun	frōonō	frōun	frōonō
dative	frōun	frōum	frōun	frōum	frōun	frōum

Comparative forms of frō (weak only)

gender	masculine		neuter		feminine
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	frōworo	frōworu	frōwora	frōworu	frōwora	frōworu
accusative	frōworun	frōworun	frōwora	frōworun	frōworun	frōworun
genitive	frōworun	frōworonō	frōworun	frōworonō	frōworun	frōworonō
dative	frōworun	frōworum	frōworun	frōworum	frōworun	frōworum

Superlative forms of frō

Strong declension
gender	masculine		neuter		feminine
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	frōwost	frōwoste	frōwost	frōwoste	frōwost	frōwostu
accusative	frōwostana	frōwoste	frōwost	frōwoste	frōwosta	frōwostu
genitive	frōwostes	frōwostarō	frōwostes	frōwostarō	frōwostaro	frōwostarō
dative	frōwostumu	frōwostum	frōwostumu	frōwostum	frōwostaro	frōwostum
Weak declension
gender	masculine		neuter		feminine
case	singular	plural	singular	plural	singular	plural
nominative	frōwosto	frōwostu	frōwosta	frōwostu	frōwosta	frōwostu
accusative	frōwostun	frōwostun	frōwosta	frōwostun	frōwostun	frōwostun
genitive	frōwostun	frōwostonō	frōwostun	frōwostonō	frōwostun	frōwostonō
dative	frōwostun	frōwostum	frōwostun	frōwostum	frōwostun	frōwostum

Welsh

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /vroː/

Noun

fro

1. Soft mutation of bro.

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
bro	fro	mro	unchanged
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.