freten

freten

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English fretan, from Proto-West Germanic *fraetan, from Proto-Germanic *fraetaną; equivalent to fret (“eating away”) +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Some senses are possibly influenced by an Old French *freiter.

Alternative forms

• ffrete, frete, fretyn, vreten
• (early) freoten

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfrɛːtən/

Verb

freten (third-person singular simple present freteth, present participle fretynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative frat, past participle freten)

1. To consume, to devour, to eat (usually of animals).
   • 1370–1390, William Langland, “Passus. xviii. de visione”, in Piers Plowman:

     At the bigynnyng God gaf the doom hymselve-- / That Adam and Eve and alle that hem suwede / Sholden deye downrighte, and dwelle in peyne after / If that thei touchede a tree and of the fruyt eten. / Adam afterward, ayeins his defence, / Freet of that fruyt, and forsook, as it were, / The love of Oure Lord and his loore bothe […]

     At the beginning God gave the judgment himself / That Adam and Eve and all them that ensued, / Should die down right and dwell in pain after, / If that they touched a tree and the fruit ate, / Adam afterward against his warning / Ate of that fruit, and forsook, as it were, / The love of our Lord and his lore both, […]

2. (figurative) To ruin; to devastate.
3. To wear or abrade; to rub or chafe at:
   1. To gnaw or chomp; to attack with the teeth.
   2. To corrode; to eat or wear away.
   3. (figurative) To wear at; to annoy or injure.
4. (rare, cooking) To force through a strainer.

Conjugation

Conjugation of freten (strong class 5 or weak in -te/-ed)

infinitive	(to) freten, frete
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	frete	frat, fret, frette, freted
2nd-person singular	fretest	frete, frat, fret, frettest, fretedest
3rd-person singular	freteth, fret	frat, fret, frette, freted
subjunctive singular	frete	frete1, frette1, freted1
imperative singular		—
plural2	freten, frete	freten, frete, fretten, frette, freteden, fretede
imperative plural	freteth, frete	—
participles	fretynge, fretende	(y)freten, (y)frete, (y)fret, (y)freted

¹Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
²Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Related terms

• fret
• forfreten

Descendants

• English: fret
• Scots: frete, freet

References

• “frēten, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Old French frete, past participle of freter (“to decorate”).

Alternative forms

• fret

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfrɛːtən/, /ˈfrɛtən/

Verb

freten (third-person singular simple present freteth, present participle fretynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative frette, past participle fret)

1. To decorate with precious adornments (often wire or gems)
2. To supply, stock or load; to make full.
3. (rare) To place as such a decoration.

Usage notes

This verb is usually found in the past participle, though other forms occasionally appear.

Conjugation

Conjugation of freten (weak in -te/-ed)

infinitive	(to) [[{{{head}}}#Middle English|{{{head}}}]]
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	[[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]]	[[{{{2}}}te#Middle English|{{{2}}}te]], [[{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|{{{2}}}ed]]
2nd-person singular	[[{{{1}}}est#Middle English|{{{1}}}est]]	[[{{{2}}}test#Middle English|{{{2}}}test]], [[{{{2}}}edest#Middle English|{{{2}}}edest]]
3rd-person singular	[[{{{1}}}eth#Middle English|{{{1}}}eth]]	[[{{{2}}}te#Middle English|{{{2}}}te]], [[{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|{{{2}}}ed]]
subjunctive singular	[[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]]
imperative singular		—
plural1	[[{{{1}}}en#Middle English|{{{1}}}en]], [[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]]	[[{{{2}}}ten#Middle English|{{{2}}}ten]], [[{{{2}}}te#Middle English|{{{2}}}te]], [[{{{2}}}eden#Middle English|{{{2}}}eden]], [[{{{2}}}ede#Middle English|{{{2}}}ede]]
imperative plural	[[{{{1}}}eth#Middle English|{{{1}}}eth]], [[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]]	—
participles	[[{{{1}}}ynge#Middle English|{{{1}}}ynge]], [[{{{1}}}ende#Middle English|{{{1}}}ende]]	[[{{{2}}}t#Middle English|{{{2}}}t]], [[{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|{{{2}}}ed]], [[y{{{2}}}t#Middle English|y{{{2}}}t]], [[y{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|y{{{2}}}ed]]

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Related terms

• fret

Descendants

• English: fret

References

• “frēten, v.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “frēten, v.(4).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Old French fretter, freter, from frette (“ring”). See fretter.

Alternative forms

• fretten

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfrɛːtən/, /ˈfrɛtən/

Verb

freten (third-person singular simple present freteth, present participle fretynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative frette, past participle fret)

1. To bind or tie, especially with a loop

Usage notes

This verb is usually found in the past participle, though other forms occasionally appear.

Conjugation

Conjugation of freten (weak in -te/-ed)

infinitive	(to) [[{{{head}}}#Middle English|{{{head}}}]]
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	[[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]]	[[{{{2}}}te#Middle English|{{{2}}}te]], [[{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|{{{2}}}ed]]
2nd-person singular	[[{{{1}}}est#Middle English|{{{1}}}est]]	[[{{{2}}}test#Middle English|{{{2}}}test]], [[{{{2}}}edest#Middle English|{{{2}}}edest]]
3rd-person singular	[[{{{1}}}eth#Middle English|{{{1}}}eth]]	[[{{{2}}}te#Middle English|{{{2}}}te]], [[{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|{{{2}}}ed]]
subjunctive singular	[[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]]
imperative singular		—
plural1	[[{{{1}}}en#Middle English|{{{1}}}en]], [[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]]	[[{{{2}}}ten#Middle English|{{{2}}}ten]], [[{{{2}}}te#Middle English|{{{2}}}te]], [[{{{2}}}eden#Middle English|{{{2}}}eden]], [[{{{2}}}ede#Middle English|{{{2}}}ede]]
imperative plural	[[{{{1}}}eth#Middle English|{{{1}}}eth]], [[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]]	—
participles	[[{{{1}}}ynge#Middle English|{{{1}}}ynge]], [[{{{1}}}ende#Middle English|{{{1}}}ende]]	[[{{{2}}}t#Middle English|{{{2}}}t]], [[{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|{{{2}}}ed]], [[y{{{2}}}t#Middle English|y{{{2}}}t]], [[y{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|y{{{2}}}ed]]

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Related terms

• fret

Descendants

• English: fret

References

• “frēten, v.(3).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.