From OE 'frēodōm' — 'frēo' (free, beloved) + '-dōm' (state), where PIE *preyH- (to love) ties freedom to belonging.
The state of being free from constraints, oppression, or imprisonment; the power or right to act, speak, or think as one chooses.
From Old English 'frēodōm,' composed of 'frēo' (free, not in bondage, noble) and '-dōm' (a suffix denoting state, condition, or domain). Old English 'frēo' comes from Proto-Germanic *frijaz, meaning 'free, beloved,' from Proto-Indo-European *preyH- (to love, to be pleased). The connection between 'free' and 'love' reflects the tribal reality: those who were 'free' were members of the beloved community — family, kin — as opposed to slaves
English 'free,' 'friend,' and 'Friday' all descend from the same PIE root *preyH- (to love). 'Free' meant 'beloved, dear' — a member of the household, not a slave. 'Friend' is 'one who loves.' 'Friday' is named after Frigg/Freyja, the Norse goddess of love, whose name shares the same root. Freedom, at its deepest, is the state of being among the beloved.
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