afraid English · revision 3880

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=borrowing|attested=1330|origins=frk *friþu}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /əˈfreɪd/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|enm|affraied]], the past participle of the now obsolete verb [[affray|alt=afray]] “to frighten”,^(Etymonline)^(MWU 2024)^(Hoad 1986) used as an adjective after [[bor|xno|afrayé]],^(Hoad 1986)^(SOED 2002) from Old French esfreer “to worry, disturb, frighten”,^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988) from [[la-vul|*exfridāre]], a hybrid meaning literally “to take out of peace”,^(Etymonline)^(AHD) from Latin ex- “out of” and [[frk|*friþu|t=peace]],^(Etymonline) from [[gem-pro|*friþuz|t=peace, forbearance]],^(Etymonline) from a suffixed form of [[ine-pro|*prī-|t=to be friendly, to love]].^(Etymonline) Barnhart compares its formation with laid and said.^(Barnhart 1988) It is related to [[fray]] and [[friend]].^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Alarmed, frightened: 1330 in the OED,^(OED 1989) early 14th century in Etymonline,^(Etymonline) and about 1300 in Guy of Warwick according to Barnhart.^(Barnhart 1988)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ It is a rare case of an English adjective that never stands before a noun.^(Etymonline) Its use in the King James Bible gave it independent standing, so that it thrived while affray faded, and it drove out the once more common [[afeard]].^(Etymonline)^(Hoad 1986) With ''of'' it is recorded from 1350,^(OED 1989) and with an infinitive, “not having the courage to”, from 1535.^(OED 1989) The polite ''I'm afraid'', “I regret to say”, without any implication of fear, is recorded by the 1590s.^(Etymonline) In Irish and other dialect English it was used as a conjunction meaning “lest, for fear that”.^(Wright 1898) Johnson thought it should properly be written with ff, as coming from affray.^(Johnson 1755)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1330 – frightened.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1350 – ''afraid of''.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1535 – not daring to.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1590s – ''I'm afraid'', I regret to say.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Filled with [[fear]].^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Unwilling or reluctant: ''afraid of hard work''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+ # Filled with regret or concern, used to soften an unwelcome statement: ''I'm afraid I can't come''.^(AHD)^(MW Collegiate)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[unafraid]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[affray]]

+ * [[fray]]

+ * [[afeard]]

+ * [[friend]]

+ * [[free]]

+ * [[Friday]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The American Heritage sets afraid beside apprehensive and fearful, which share the central meaning “filled with fear”.^(AHD)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}