An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Freitag

by Friedrich Kluge

Freitag, m., ‘Friday,’ from the equiv. MidHG. vrîtac, OHG. frîatag, m., ‘dies Veneris’; corresponding to Du. vrijdag, AS. frîgdœg, frîgedœg, E. Friday, ‘dies Veneris,’ OIc. Frjádagr (for which Föstadagr, ‘fast day,’ is used in ModIc.); lit. ‘Freia’s day’ (primit. Teut. Frijjó), equiv. to Lat. dies Veneris. Freia corresponds to Venus. OIc. Frigg, like OHG. Frîa, is lit. ‘lover, goddess of love’; akin to Sans. priyã, f., ‘spouse, beloved’ (OSax. frî, AS. freó, ‘wife’). See frei.