freight English · revision 10639

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1228|origins=dum vracht}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /freɪt/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|dum|vracht]] or Middle Low German vrecht, a variant,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) probably from an unrecorded Old Frisian word cognate with Old High German frēht, earnings,^(Barnhart 1988) from the base of Gothic fra-, for, and aihts, property, from aigan, to have (see [[owe]] and [[fraught]]).^(Barnhart 1988) Danish fragt and Swedish frakt are also from Dutch or Frisian.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The cargo of a ship: 1228, as fraght;^(Barnhart 1988) the hire of a ship to carry goods, 1463 in the OED.^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The transporting of goods or passengers by water, and the money paid for passage, are from 1389,^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) and the spelling freight from 1442.^(Barnhart 1988) Anything carried as a load is from 1502,^(OED 1989) and a figurative burden from 1618.^(OED 1989) The verb, to load a ship, is from before 1375 as fraughten and the 15th century as freighten;^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) to carry or transport is from the 1530s.^(Etymonline) ''Freighter'' is from 1622, first one who loads a ship.^(Barnhart 1988) Goods carried by rail or road, and freight trains, belong to modern American usage.^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1228 – fraght, a cargo.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * before 1375 – to load a ship.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1389 – the carriage of goods; passage money.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1442 – the spelling freight.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1622 – freighter.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Noun===

+ # Goods carried by ship, aircraft, train or truck; [[cargo]].^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # The commercial transport of goods, or the charge for it.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # A [[burden]] or load.^(AHD)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To load with goods for transport.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(chiefly US)'' To carry or send as cargo.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[freightless]]

+ * [[airfreight]]

+ * [[overfreight]]

+ * [[freightage]]

+ * [[freighter]]

+ * [[dead freight]]

+ * [[freight car]]

+ * [[freight train]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[fraught]]

+ * [[owe]]

+ * [[own]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}