Etymology Of "Friend"

Alan: If I read this right, friends are those people whose love for one another frees them.

In Spanish, "amigo" and "enemigo" ("enemy") are antonyms.

Lincoln said "the best way to destroy your enemy is to make him your friend."

The only way?

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 

bless those who curse you, 

pray for those who mistreat you."

http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2013/02/love-your-enemies-do-good-to-those-who.html

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friend (n.) 

Old English freond "friend," present participle of freogan "to love, to favor," from Proto-Germanic *frijojanan "to love" (cf. Old Norse frændi, Old Frisian friund, Middle High German friunt, German Freund, Gothicfrijonds "friend," all alike from present participle forms). Related to Old English freo "free" (see free (adj.)).

Meaning "a Quaker" (a member of the Society of Friends) is from 1670s. Feond ("fiend," originally "enemy") and freond often were paired alliteratively in Old English; both are masculine agent nouns derived from present participle of verbs, but are not directly related to one another (see fiend).