affray

Meanings

1. To startle from quiet; to alarm.
2. To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.

1. The act of suddenly disturbing anyone; an assault or attack.
2. A tumultuous assault or quarrel.
3. The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others.
4. Terror.

Etymology

From Middle English affraien (“to terrify, frighten”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman afrayer (“to terrify, disquiet, disturb”) and Old French effreer, esfreer (“to disturb, remove the peace from”) (compare modern French effrayer), from Vulgar Latin *exfridāre. The second part of this is in turn from Frankish *friþu (“security, peace”), from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace”), from *frijōną (“to free; to love”), from Proto-Indo-European *prāy-, *prēy- (“to like, love”). Cognate with Old High German fridu (“peace”), Old English friþ (“peace, frith”), Old English frēod (“peace, friendship”), German Friede (“peace”). More at free, friend.