An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/flisch

by Friedrich Kluge

flisch, adj.,‘fresh, cool, raw (of a wound),’ from MidHG. vrisc, OHG. frisc, adj., ‘new, young, cheerful, active, pert’; corresponding to AS. fërsc, E. fresh, OIc. ferskr, ‘fresh.’ The further origin is obscure; on account of its meaning Lat. priscus (akin to prior, prius) cannot be allied; perhaps OHG. frisc is derived from früh, OHG. fruo. The HG. word found its way at an early period into Romance (comp, Ital. fresco, Fr. frais), and into E. (frisk).