vogelfrei

15th century, from Vogel (“bird”) +‎ frei (“free”). The earliest use was of persons who were free from feudal obligation and thus enjoyed freedom of movement. It seems plausible that the use for “outlawed” may be based on this, in the sense that the outlaw is forced ever to move from place to place. However, the predominantly accepted derivation is from the fact that outlaws could not be buried in Christian cemeteries and were left, as it were, to the birds. Perhaps both notions have contributed.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfoːɡəlˌfraɪ̯/, [ˈfoːɡl̩ˌfʁaɪ̯] (usually in the sense “outlawed”)

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• IPA^(key): /ˈfoːɡəlˈfraɪ̯/, [ˈfoːɡl̩ˈfʁaɪ̯] (usually in the sense “free as a bird”)

vogelfrei (strong nominative masculine singular vogelfreier, not comparable)

1. outlawed, banished, proscribed (stripped of all rights and allowed to be killed)

   Synonyms: geächtet, gebannt, rechtlos, entrechtet

2. (fairly rare) free as a bird
   • 1843, Lina Reinhardt, “Zufalls-Spiele”, in Stunden-Blumen‎, Braunschweig, page 218:

     Er fühlte sich vogelfrei, zum ersten Male ein Mann, der sich auf seinen eigenen Willen lehne.

     He felt free as a bird, for the first time a man who might rely on his own will.

• → Dutch: vogelvrij (calque)
  • Afrikaans: voëlvry
• → Estonian: lindprii (calque)
• → Swedish: fågelfri (calque)

• “vogelfrei” in Duden online