Fright is a noun and apparently has no plural form.
If you add '-en' , it changes to "frighten" which is its verb form
If you add '-en' plus '-ed' to "frightened" ,it can be a past tense verb , but more likely, its an adjective.
Are there any other English words with this utterly bizzare formulation? Does it come from German or what?
Thanks
2007-12-03 12:53:58 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
Oh, i forgot
"frightening" which is also an adjective, and is never a verb !
and "frighteningly" which is the adverb. Not quite as strange here, because adverbs usually are formed with -ly, but why was it added to "frightening" rather than a simpler form of "frighten"?
so strange...
2007-12-03 12:57:38 · update #1
There are still a few words left over from the old and middle English that are currently still in use. At one time in English word endings were more important than word order for proper understanding. Most of these word endings have since disappeared except in a few cases.
child and children
fright and frighten
2007-12-03 13:09:51 · answer #1 · answered by Form F 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
From the "Online Etymology Dictionary:
fright (n.) Look up fright at Dictionary.com
O.E. (Northumbrian) fryhto, metathesis of fyrhtu "fear, dread," from P.Gmc. *furkhtaz "afraid" (cf. O.S. forhta, O.Fris. fruchte, O.H.G. forhta, Ger. Furcht, Goth. faurhtei "fear"). Not etymologically related to the word fear, which superseded it 13c. as the principal word except in cases of sudden terror. For spelling evolution, see fight. Frightful (c.1250) originally meant "timid," and like most -ful adjectives originally had an active and passive sense; the meaning "horrible, shocking" is from 1700; Johnson noted it as "a cant word among women for anything unpleasing."
fight (v.) Look up fight at Dictionary.com
O.E. feohtan "to fight" (class III strong verb; past tense feaht, pp. fohten), from P.Gmc. *fekhtanan (cf. O.H.G. fehtan, Du. vechten, O.Fris. fiuhta), from PIE *pek- "to pluck out" (wool or hair), apparently with a notion of "pulling roughly." Spelling substitution of -gh- for a "hard H" sound was a M.E. scribal habit, especially before -t-. In some late O.E. examples, the middle consonant was represented by a yogh. The noun is from O.E. feohte, gefeoht. First use of fighter for "fast military airplane used for combat" is from 1917.
2007-12-03 21:05:01 · answer #2 · answered by Beach Saint 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You've never heard the expression: "That gave me the frights"?
I'm not sure if it qualifies as proper english, but I've heard it said.
2007-12-03 21:05:31 · answer #3 · answered by Morbid One 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋