At 11:41:48 AM on Thursday, September 18, 2008, tgpedersen
wrote:
[...]
> Found in de Vries: Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch
> at the library, by memory:
Not entirely accurate. I've summarized the entries (and
some related ones), leaving his definitions untranslated.
> brak: cracking noise; (weapon) din
<brak> (neut.) 'krachen, lärm' (OE <gebræc>, OSax <gibrak>,
MLG <brak>, OHG <gibreh>; cf. OSax, OHG <braht> 'lärm,
geschrei', OE <breahtm>, OSax <brahtum> 'lärm, lärmende
menge'; cf. Goth. <brakja> 'ringkampf'. He says that it's
deverbal, from <braka>. [No mention of weapons.]
<braka> wk. vb. 'krachen, lärmen'; cf. OE <bræclian>
'krachen, tönen'
These do look as if they ought to go with *brekan 'to
break'.
> breka: beg (as a beggar)
<brek> (neut.) 'begierde; list, trug' (OE <(ge)brec>
'geräusch', MLG <brek> 'gebrechen, mangel'.
<breka> wk. vb. 'verlangen' (first attested in the 13th
century) (Norw. <breka> 'bitten'; cf. OHG <brehho:n>
'betrüben'). [No mention of beggars.]
<breki> (masc.) 'brecher' (poet.) (OE <wiðerbreca> 'gegner,
feind')
Cleasby & Vigfusson (and Zoëga, if different):
<brak> 'a creaking noise' (Zoëga adds 'crack')
<braka> 'to creak (of timber)'. (Zoëga: 'to creak, crack')
<brek> 'a fraudulent purchase of land' (law term); in the
plural 'freaks', chiefly of children. (Zoëga: 'claim,
demand')
<breka> 'to keep asking', of importunate requests. (Zoëga:
'to keep asking') Both mention a proverb: 'Látum barn
hafa þat er brekar' (We let children have what they pester
us for'). [Still no mention of beggars.]
There are also <brekboð> 'a fraudulent bidding' (of land),
<breklaust> 'without fraud', <brekráð> 'an attempt at
fraudulent acquisition', and <breksekt> 'fraudulent outlawry
(to prevent one from pleading his case)', all in legal
contexts, and <brekvísi> 'importunity, importunate
solicitation'.
Brian