fremd, a. Obs. exc. Sc. and north.
(frɛmd)
Forms: 1 fræmde, frem(e)de, Northumb. fremþe, 2–6 fremde, 3 fræmde, Orm. fremmde, freomede, south. vreomede, 3–5 frem(m)ed(e, (4 fremned, frimmed), 4–5 fremyd, 5–9 Sc. frem(m)it, -yt, 4–7 frem(m)e, (7 fremb), 5–7 frem(e)(d, fremb'd(e, 6 frenned, 7, 9 Sc. frem, (9 fraim), 6, 8 Sc. fram(m)et, (8 fram'd, 9 fraumit), 9 Sc. frem't, frem(m)'d.
[Com. Teut.: OE. fręmede, fręmde, fręmþe = OS. fremithi (Du. vreemd), OHG. framadi, fremidi strange, wonderful (MHG. vremede, vremde), Goth. framaþs foreign, estranged:—OTeut. *framoþjo-, framiþjo- f. *fram-: see from.]
1. Foreign: see foreign 8.
| a 1000 Laws of Ine (Schmid) §20 Gif feorcund mon, oððe fremde, butan weᵹe ᵹeond wudu gonge. c 1386 Chaucer Sqr.'s T. 421 A faukoun peregryn than semed sche Of fremde lond. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. vii. 4 Ambassadouris thay directe to framit natiounis quha war thair special freinds. ? 17.. in Child Ballads ii. lii. A. (1884) 450/2, I wish I had died on some frem isle, And never had come hame! 1858 Mrs. Oliphant Laird of Norlaw I. 299 ‘Dinna bring me a daughter of that land to vex me as the fremd woman vexed Rebecca.’ 1864 T. Clarke Westmld. Dial. in Kendal Merc. 30 Jan., It mappm mud lead me inta sum fremm'd cuntry. |
b. = foreign 4.
| 1581 Mulcaster Positions xli. (1887) 242, I may not at this time prosecute this position, as to fremd for this place. |
2. Strange, unknown, unfamiliar. Also
ellipt. or
absol. (quasi-n.).
the fremd: strangers. Of an incident: Remarkable, surprising.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. John x. 5 Forðon ne cuðon stefn ðara fremðe. a 1225 Ancr. R. 106 His deore deciples..bileueden him alle one, ase ureomede. a 1300 Cursor M. 28292 Priuetis o fremyd and frende I haue discouerd. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1046 Dido, That nevere yit was so fremde a cas. 14.. in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866) 249 Euery man, boþe fremyd & kouth, Xul comyn with-outyn ly. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems (1893) 307 The fremmit thairof thair baggis can fill. 1535 Durham Depos. (Surtees) 52 Let her take 2 fremde menne, or frendes, and I other 2. 1580 Sidney Arcadia (1622) 87 Cowards..With sight of feare from friends to fremb'd doe flie. 1863 Mrs. Gaskell Sylvia's L. (1874) 184 ‘There's a fremd man i' t' house, I heerd his voice!’ 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xxxv. (1873) 199 Mary Howie needin' to gae awa' to the frem't. |
b. Wild, opposed to
tame.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. 480 (529) Al this world is blynd In this matere, bothe fremed and tame. |
3. Like a stranger, estranged, unfriendly. Of the bearing, voice, etc.: Strange, forced, unnatural. Const. in
OE. with
dat.,
with,
till.
| a 1000 Sal. & Sat. 68 Fracoð he bið ðonne and fremede frean ælmihtigum. a 1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 200 Woa is me þet ich am so freomede wið þe. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus ii. 199 (248) Lat be to me your fremde maner speche. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 3343, I hafe bene frendely, freke, and fremmede tille other. 1508 Dunbar Gold. Targe 225 On syde scho lukit wyth ane fremyt fare. 1580 Sidney Arcadia iii. Wks. 1724 II. 719 And makes them fremb'd, who friends by nature are. 1636 Rutherford Lett. (1862) I. 178 He looked fremed and unco-like upon me when I came first here. a 1651 Calderwood Hist. Kirk (1843) II. 280 The Erle of Murrey was so frem to Mr. Knox, that [etc.]. 1789 Burns 5 Carlins xx, Monie a friend that kiss'd his caup, Is now a fremit wight. 1859 J. Brown Rab. & F. 9 Rab called rapidly, and in a fremyt voice. |
| Proverb. 1721 Kelly Sc. Prov. 72 Better my friend think me framet, than fashious. 1823 Scott Quentin D. vi, ‘Better kind fremit, than fremit kindred.’ |
b. Adverse, unpropitious, hostile.
| 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. xxiv, So infortunate was we that fremyt day. 1513 Douglas æneis i. i. 58 Scho thame for⁓drivis..by fremmit weird full mony ȝeris tharbye. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (1858) I. 323 Sayand the Britis fremit war and fals. |
4. Not related, of another family or house; opposed to
sib or
kin. Often
ellipt. or
absol.| a 1200 Moral Ode 34 Sone wule hine forȝeten þe fremede and þe sibbe. a 1225 Ancr. R. 184 Nanmore þen þu woldest beaten a ureomede child þauh hit agulte. c 1340 Hampole Prose Tr. (1866) 8 Many..neuer haue halde þe ordyre of lufe ynesche þaire frendys sibbe or ffremede. c 1460 How Goode Wif taught hir Doughter 17 in Hazl. E.P.P. I. 181 Make thou none iangelynge withe fremed ne withe sibbe. c 1510 Barclay Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570) B iij, For thy fremde folke and seruauntes to prouide. 1530 Palsgr. 627, I make of a frenned chylde my sonne by the lawe. Je adopte. 1550 Coverdale Spir. Perle xvi. 126 Those children that are nursed by frembd mens fyers. 1611 Cotgr., Affiliation, adoption, or the conferring on fremme children all aduantages belonging to naturall ones. 1862 A. Hislop Prov. Scot. 143 Mak friends o' fremit folk. |
Hence
ˈfremdly adv., strangely, like a stranger; unkindly.
ˈfremdness, strangeness, coldness; also personified.
| 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 714 Fer floten fro his frendez fremedly he rydez. c 1500 Lancelot 1508 [They] haith no thonk bot fremmytness of the. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 3 Fra all the Scottis prescribit war ilkone..So fremmitlie in mony sindrie land. 1560 Rolland Crt. Venus iii. 6 The Iustice Clark, was callit Fremmitnes. 1569–70 Knox Let. to Cecil 2 Jan. in Tytler Hist. Scot. (1864) III. 318, I have been fremedly handled. 1807 J. Stagg Poems 49 The hand of fate unkeynde Has us'd us fremtly. |