friend
/frend/·프렌드·noun
a person you know and like
Old EnglishCEFR A1
Root
Proto-Germanic '*frijōnd' (loving one)
PIE *priH- (love) → Proto-Germanic *frijōnd → Old English frēond → Middle English frend → Modern friend
In a word
Old English frēond. Originally the present participle of frēogan, "to love". So friend literally meant "one who is loving" — an action, not a noun. German Freund, Dutch vriend share the root. Free shares it too — in Germanic, "people on my side" and "people close without restraint" came from the same idea. By etymology, making a friend isn't a status — it's the ongoing act of being-loving-toward-someone (non-romantic).
Examples
She is my best friend.
I met an old friend in town.
Friends help each other in hard times.
Related
friendlyfriendshipbefriendunfriendly