The people who have English as 1st language often confuse "free" with "self", but if one transcends space and time, even with the key of language itself, she / he may find some unsuspected results.
You see the verb "free" only acquired the sense "to make free" rather late at it's evolution, as all cognate words within the Germanic languages have the meaning of "to love" or "to court", and ultimately stems from the Proto-IndoEuropean root *priy-(a)- "dear, beloved". A similar word (from the same root) is "Friend".
Isn't that a whole new perspective?
In Greek I have seen many etynologies of Ελευθερος (Eleftheros) the Greek word for "free", but they basically end up with of the three for Elefth- and then the -eros either being merely an ending or the word "eros" (love). I like the second because it is ........ with the "love" etymology of "free".
a) ελεύθερος < αρχ. ἐλεύθερος < ΙΕ leudh- "ανυψώνω" (to elevate)
If these root is accepted "eleftheros" means "to grow", or "to love growth"
b) ἐλεύθερος < *h₁lewdʰ-. Cognate to (Latin) liber, (Sanskrit) रोधति (rodhati) κ.ά. Similar to ἐλεύσομαι, future tense of ἔρχομαι (I am arriving)
If these root is accepted "eleftheros" means "to go about", or "to go about as one pleases"
c) ἐλεύθερος < *h₁lewdʰ- (people). Cognates include Ancient Greek ἐλεύθερος (eleútheros), Sanskrit रोधति (rodhati), Dutch lieden, German Leute, Russian люди (ljudi, “people”).
If these root is accepted "eleftheros" means "to belong to (be part of) the people", or "to love people"
Isn't this third sense absolutely wonderfull, "free" meaning to love others, not the self.
Self is also not what we'd think, in PIE it is the pronoun of the third person, even if it is often reflexive, from root *s(w)e-, in Greek it gives hos "he, she, it;" It's reflexivity can be seen in other cognates like Latin suescere "to accustom, get accustomed," sodalis "companion;" Old Church Slavonic svoji "his, her, its," svojaku "relative, kinsman;"
So we see in older times the "self" had a strong sense of belonging.
Now as for will, before the etymology I want to point out that the phrase as it stands in Engllish "free will" is parallel with the second notion of Eleftheros I mentioned before, "to go (and do) as one pleases", so by itself it does strengthen (a little) the possibility of that meaning.
will (v.1) (from etymonline.com)
Old English *willan, wyllan "to wish, desire; be willing; be used to; be about to" (past tense wolde), from Proto-Germanic *willjan (source also of Old Saxon willian, Old Norse vilja, Old Frisian willa, Dutch willen, Old High German wellan, German wollen, Gothic wiljan "to will, wish, desire," Gothic waljan "to choose").
The Germanic words are from PIE root *wel- (2) "to wish, will" (source also of Sanskrit vrnoti "chooses, prefers," varyah "to be chosen, eligible, excellent," varanam "choosing;" Avestan verenav- "to wish, will, choose;" Greek elpis "hope;" Latin volo, velle "to wish, will, desire;" Old Church Slavonic voljo, voliti "to will," veljo, veleti "to command;" Lithuanian velyti "to wish, favor," pa-velmi "I will," viliuos "I hope;" Welsh gwell "better").
This is a second etymological root *wel- (2), different from the one we discussed in the previous post about hell < *wel- (1) (“to turn, wind, round”). Cognate with Ancient Greek ἐλύω (elúō, “to roll around”), εἰλύω (eilúō, “to enfold”), εἴλω (eílō, “to roll up, pack close”), ἑλίσσω (helíssō, “to turn round, to roll”), ἕλιξ (héliks), Old Armenian գելում (gelum), Old English wielwan, wealwian (“to roll”).
You see the verb "free" only acquired the sense "to make free" rather late at it's evolution, as all cognate words within the Germanic languages have the meaning of "to love" or "to court", and ultimately stems from the Proto-IndoEuropean root *priy-(a)- "dear, beloved". A similar word (from the same root) is "Friend".
Isn't that a whole new perspective?
In Greek I have seen many etynologies of Ελευθερος (Eleftheros) the Greek word for "free", but they basically end up with of the three for Elefth- and then the -eros either being merely an ending or the word "eros" (love). I like the second because it is ........ with the "love" etymology of "free".
a) ελεύθερος < αρχ. ἐλεύθερος < ΙΕ leudh- "ανυψώνω" (to elevate)
If these root is accepted "eleftheros" means "to grow", or "to love growth"
b) ἐλεύθερος < *h₁lewdʰ-. Cognate to (Latin) liber, (Sanskrit) रोधति (rodhati) κ.ά. Similar to ἐλεύσομαι, future tense of ἔρχομαι (I am arriving)
If these root is accepted "eleftheros" means "to go about", or "to go about as one pleases"
c) ἐλεύθερος < *h₁lewdʰ- (people). Cognates include Ancient Greek ἐλεύθερος (eleútheros), Sanskrit रोधति (rodhati), Dutch lieden, German Leute, Russian люди (ljudi, “people”).
If these root is accepted "eleftheros" means "to belong to (be part of) the people", or "to love people"
Isn't this third sense absolutely wonderfull, "free" meaning to love others, not the self.
Self is also not what we'd think, in PIE it is the pronoun of the third person, even if it is often reflexive, from root *s(w)e-, in Greek it gives hos "he, she, it;" It's reflexivity can be seen in other cognates like Latin suescere "to accustom, get accustomed," sodalis "companion;" Old Church Slavonic svoji "his, her, its," svojaku "relative, kinsman;"
So we see in older times the "self" had a strong sense of belonging.
Now as for will, before the etymology I want to point out that the phrase as it stands in Engllish "free will" is parallel with the second notion of Eleftheros I mentioned before, "to go (and do) as one pleases", so by itself it does strengthen (a little) the possibility of that meaning.
Old English *willan, wyllan "to wish, desire; be willing; be used to; be about to" (past tense wolde), from Proto-Germanic *willjan (source also of Old Saxon willian, Old Norse vilja, Old Frisian willa, Dutch willen, Old High German wellan, German wollen, Gothic wiljan "to will, wish, desire," Gothic waljan "to choose").
The Germanic words are from PIE root *wel- (2) "to wish, will" (source also of Sanskrit vrnoti "chooses, prefers," varyah "to be chosen, eligible, excellent," varanam "choosing;" Avestan verenav- "to wish, will, choose;" Greek elpis "hope;" Latin volo, velle "to wish, will, desire;" Old Church Slavonic voljo, voliti "to will," veljo, veleti "to command;" Lithuanian velyti "to wish, favor," pa-velmi "I will," viliuos "I hope;" Welsh gwell "better").
This is a second etymological root *wel- (2), different from the one we discussed in the previous post about hell < *wel- (1) (“to turn, wind, round”). Cognate with Ancient Greek ἐλύω (elúō, “to roll around”), εἰλύω (eilúō, “to enfold”), εἴλω (eílō, “to roll up, pack close”), ἑλίσσω (helíssō, “to turn round, to roll”), ἕλιξ (héliks), Old Armenian գելում (gelum), Old English wielwan, wealwian (“to roll”).
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