Fries

See also: fries and fríes

English

Etymology

The town was named after a prominent cotton-mill owner, Francis Henry Fries. The surname is converged from both Friesland and French friche (“fallow land”), found in Swiss French.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfɹiːz/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːz
• Homophones: frees, frieze

Proper noun

Fries

1. A surname.
2. A town in Virginia.

Further reading

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Fries”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 1, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 606.

Anagrams

• Fiser, fiers, fires, serif

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfris/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Fries
• Rhymes: -is

Etymology 1

From Middle Dutch Friese, but also Vriese, Vrese, from Old Dutch *Frieso, probably via Old Saxon *Frēso. Borrowed and re-borrowed, at varying times in history, from Old Frisian Frēsa, Frīsa (modern West Frisian Fries). Probably ultimately from Proto-Germanic *frisaz (“curly, frizzy”), named for their curly hair. Also compare Latin Frisii.

Initial v- is expected from natural development from Old Dutch, in which voicing of initial f- to v- occurs naturally. The modern form with f- is probably influenced by the Frisian endonym. However, the original voiced consonant is retained in the common surname de Vries.

Noun

Fries m (plural Friezen, diminutive Friesje n, feminine Friese)

1. a Frisian, member of a Germanic people (both the modern people and the ancient Frisii); a speaker of one of the Frisian languages
2. a West Frisian specifically; a speaker of the West Frisian language
3. Short form for various names relating to Friesland or Frisians, such as the bovine race.

Usage notes

In the Netherlands, Fries most often refers implicitly to the Frisians with whom Dutch people are most familiar, the West Frisians. Note that the general meaning of Dutch West-Fries refers to the region in North Holland.

Alternative forms

• Vries (obsolete)

Derived terms

• de Vries
• Friesland
• Vriezenveen

Etymology 2

From Fries +‎ -s.

Adjective

Fries (comparative Frieser, superlative meest Fries or Friest)

1. Frisian (any member of the Frisian people)
2. West Frisian specifically (of the Frisian part of the Netherlands)

Declension

Declension of Fries
uninflected	Fries
inflected	Friese
comparative	Frieser
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		Fries	Frieser	het Friest het Frieste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	Friese	Friesere	Frieste
	n. sing.	Fries	Frieser	Frieste
	plural	Friese	Friesere	Frieste
definite		Friese	Friesere	Frieste
partitive		Fries	Friesers	—

Alternative forms

• Friesch (obsolete)
• Vriesch (obsolete)

Derived terms

• Friese ruiter

Proper noun

Fries n

1. Frisian (any of the Frisian languages)
2. specifically, West Frisian

Derived terms

• Noordfries
• Oostfries
• Oosterlauwers Fries
• Westfries
• Westerlauwers Fries

German

Etymology

Borrowed from French frise, from an Upper Italian fris f.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːs

Noun

Fries m (strong, genitive Frieses, plural Friese)

1. frieze (sculptured or richly ornamented band)

Declension

Declension of Fries [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Fries	die	Friese
genitive	eines	des	Frieses	der	Friese
dative	einem	dem	Fries, Friese1	den	Friesen
accusative	einen	den	Fries	die	Friese

¹Now rare, see notes.

Hyponyms

• Akanthusfries
• Bandfries
• Bilderfries
• Bodenfries
• Bogenfries
• Giebelfries
• Kachelfries
• Lilienfries
• Mittelfries
• Palmettenfries
• Randfries
• Rundbogenfries
• Triglyphenfries
• Türfries
• Wandfries
• Zahnfries

 

Further reading

• “Fries” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Fries” in Duden online
• “Fries” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.

West Frisian

Etymology

From Old Frisian Frīsa, Frēsa, probably ultimately from Proto-Germanic *frisaz (“curly, frizzy”), named for their curly hair.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /friə̯s/

Noun

Fries c (plural Friezen)

1. Frisian person

Further reading

• “Fries (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.
• * Markey, Thomas L. (1981): Frisians