An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/fragen

by Friedrich Kluge

fragen, vb., ‘to ask, inquire, interrogate,’ from the equiv. MidHG. vrâgen, OHG. frâgên (with the rare variant frâhên); corresponding to OSax. frâgôn, Du. vragen; confined to the Teuts. of MidEurope (Goth. *frêhan, *frêgan), with the meaning ‘to ask,’ from a Teut. root frē̆h, from which the Goth. pret. frah (frêhum) and the partic. fraíhans are formed. The corresponding pres. has a derivative n (comp. scheinen), Goth. fraíhnan, AS. frignan, frînan, beside which appears a form with the present in io-, AS. fricgan (Goth. *frigjan). For another verbal derivative of the same root see under forschen, which, like OHG. jërgôn, ‘to beg,’ has its r transposed. The following Teut. words also belong to the root frē̆h, ÀS. frëht, ‘oracle,’ frihtrian, ‘to predict,’ fricca, ‘herald.’ The Teut. root frē̆h is derived, according to the law of the substitution of consonants, from an Aryan root prē̆k, pṛk, which may have orig. combined the meanings ‘to ask, beg’ (rogare, interrogare). Comp. the prim. allied forms — Sans. root pṛch (for pṛç-sk), ‘to ask, long for; to desire, beg for something,’ praçná, ‘inquiry,’ Zend root pares, peres, ‘to ask, demand,’ Lat. prĕc- (nom. plur. preces, ‘entreaties’), prscâri, ‘to beg,’ procax, ‘insolent,’ prŏcus, ‘wooer, suitor,’ OSlov. prositi, ‘to demand, beg.’