fro

Translingual

Symbol

fro

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

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key):

• 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).

References

See also

• fro-yo (etymologically unrelated)

Anagrams

• FOR, ORF, for, for-, orf

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /froːˀ/,

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).

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

Welsh

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /vroː/

Noun

fro

1. Soft mutation of bro.

Mutation