belfryn.

Etymology: Middle English berfrey , -ay < Old French berfrei, -ai, -ay (also berfroi , later belfrei , belfroi , befroi , modern beffroi ), pointing to a late Latin type berefrēdus , < bereˈfrĭdus , adopted < Germanic *bergfrid ; in Middle High German bercvrit , -frit , berchfrit , berfrit (also berhfride ), Middle Dutch bergfert , -frede , in sense 1 below. The subsequent change of the first r to l by dissimilation from following r (as in armarium , almarium , almerie ; peregrinum , pelegrin , pilgrim ; parafredus , palefrei , palfrey ) is common in later medieval Latin; it is rare, and exceptional in French (where the normal form dropped the r , befroi , beffroi ); in English belfray did not appear before 15th cent., being probably at first a literary imitation of medieval Latin; its acceptance was doubtless due to popular association with bell n.¹, and the particular application which was in consequence given to the word. The meaning has passed from a ‘pent-house’ a ‘movable-tower’ used by besiegers and besieged, to ‘a tower to protect watchmen, a watchtower, beacon-tower, alarm-bell tower, bell-tower, place where a bell is hung.’ The sense of ‘pent-house’ or ‘shelter-shed’ is retained dialectally in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. The etymology of German bergfrid , bercvrit , presents some difficulties; but it is generally agreed that the latter part is a form of Old High German fridu , Germanic friþu-z , ‘peace, security, shelter, place of shelter or safety’ (compare the range of meaning of Old English friðu , frið , Middle English frith n.¹), the final vowel being dropped as in proper names, Gottfrid , Sigfrid , etc.; and that the former part is the stem of berg-en to protect, defend; the whole meaning ‘protecting’ or ‘defensive place of shelter,’ an obvious description of a pent-house fitted to ward off missiles from those to whom it gave shelter during siege operations. (The possibility that berg- here means ‘mountain’ seems precluded by the sense: but see the discussion of the word by Dr. Chance in Notes & Queries vi. xii. 284, 412, etc.). For the form taken by bergfrid in Romanic, and thus in English, compare the adoption of Old High German fridu in late Latin as fridus , frēdus ‘peace, protection,’ the proper names from German -frid , Gottefridus , Godefrey , Galfridus , Geoffrey , and affray n., Old French esfrei, modern effroi, parallel to berfrei, beffroi. Medieval Latin had the forms berefridus, berfredus, bil-, bal-, belfredus, berte-, balte-, bati-, buti-fredus, with the latter of which compare the Italian battifredo, assimilated by popular etymology with battere to beat (the tocsin), to strike (as a clock).