The origin of PCS *ḥurr- ‘free ones’ is uncertain. Its relationship to Gez.
ḥarā is a complex issue. The meaning of the Geez term is “army, troops,” and its nisbah-derivate ḥarāwi, too, is usually connected with the military sphere (‘soldier, captain,’ CDG 240). However, in one late attestation quoted in LLA 85‒86 ḥarāwi denotes a freeborn person (as opposed to a slave). The same meaning is prominent in modern EthS. It lies at hand to suppose that the meaning “free” in Geez is due to a late Arabic infiltration. Leslau (CDG 241)
is probably correct to suspect that the meanings “army” and “freeborn, noble”
are probably unconnected
(Kogan 2015: 211)