*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of dree

Probably partly borrowed from Scots dree, and partly derived from its etymon Middle English dreen, dreghen, dreogen, drien, from Old English drēogan, from Proto-West Germanic *dreugan, from Proto-Germanic *dreuganą (“to

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To bear or endure (something); to put up with, to suffer, to undergo. · To endure; to brook; also, to be able to do or continue.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Probably partly borrowed from Scots dree, and partly derived from its etymon Middle English dreen, dreghen, dreogen, drien, from Old English drēogan, from Proto-West Germanic *dreugan, from Proto-Germanic *dreuganą (“to act; to work, (specifically) to do military service”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewgʰ- (“to hold fast”). Doublet of dreich, dright, and drighten. Cognates * Gothic 𐌳𐍂𐌹𐌿𐌲𐌰𐌽 (driugan, “to do military service”) * Icelandic drýgja (“to commit, connect, perpetrate, lengthen”) * Scots dree, drie (“to bear, endure, suffer, thole”)

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*dʰrewgʰ-",
        "id": "serve"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sco",
        "3": "dree"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots dree"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "¹"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "¹"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "etymon"
      },
      "expansion": "etymon"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "dreen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English dreen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "drēogan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English drēogan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*dreugan"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *dreugan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*dreuganą",
        "t": "to act; to work, (specifically) to do military service"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *dreuganą (“to act; to work, (specifically) to do military service”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*dʰrewgʰ-",
        "t": "to hold fast"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *dʰrewgʰ- (“to hold fast”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dreich",
        "3": "dright",
        "4": "drighten"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of dreich, dright, and drighten"
    },
    {
      "name": "col-top",
      "args": {
        "1": "2",
        "2": "cog"
      },
      "expansion": "Cognates"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "got",
        "2": "𐌳𐍂𐌹𐌿𐌲𐌰𐌽",
        "t": "to do military service"
      },
      "expansion": "Gothic 𐌳𐍂𐌹𐌿𐌲𐌰𐌽 (driugan, “to do military service”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "drýgja",
        "t": "to commit, connect, perpetrate, lengthen"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic drýgja (“to commit, connect, perpetrate, lengthen”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sco",
        "2": "dree"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots dree"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "dree",
      "dree#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "dreen",
      "dreen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "dreghen",
      "dreghen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "dreogen",
      "dreogen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "drien",
      "drien#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "drēogan",
      "dreogan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*dreugan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/dreugan"
    ],
    [
      "*dreuganą",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/dreuganą"
    ],
    [
      "*dʰrewgʰ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/dʰrewgʰ-"
    ],
    [
      "dreich",
      "dreich#English"
    ],
    [
      "dright",
      "dright#English"
    ],
    [
      "drighten",
      "drighten#English"
    ],
    [
      "𐌳𐍂𐌹𐌿𐌲𐌰𐌽",
      "𐌳𐍂𐌹𐌿𐌲𐌰𐌽#Gothic"
    ],
    [
      "drýgja",
      "drýgja#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "dree",
      "dree#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "drie",
      "drie#Scots"
    ]
  ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

Grief; suffering; trouble.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Probably partly: * derived from the verb (see etymology 1); and * borrowed from Scots dree, or derived from its etymon Middle English dri, drie, dregh, dreghe (“annoyance, trouble; grief; period of time”), possibly from Middle English dregh, dri, drie (“burdensome; depressing, dismal; large, tall; lasting, long; long-suffering, patient; tedious; of blows: hard, heavy; of the face: unchanging, unmoved; of a person: strong, valorous”), from Old English *drēog, *drēoȝ, dreoh (“earnest; fit; sober”), and then probably partly: ** shortened from Old English gedrēog (“calm, quiet; sober; fit, suitable”, adjective); and ** influenced by Old Norse drjúgr (“sufficient; excessive, very; great; strong”), from Proto-Germanic *dreugaz (see above). Doublet of dreich.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Borrowed-form mentiondreesco
  • Inherited-form mentiondrienm
  • Derivation mentiondreghenm
  • Derivation mention*drēogang
  • Derivation mentiongedrēogang · calm, quiet; sober; fit, suitable
  • Derivation mentiondrjúgrnon · sufficient; excessive, very; great; strong
  • Derivation mention*dreugazgem-pro
  • Doublet mentiondreichen
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "sco",
        "3": "dree"
      },
      "expansion": "Scots dree"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "etymon"
      },
      "expansion": "etymon"
    },
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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "dri"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English dri"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "dregh"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English dregh"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "*drēog"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English *drēog"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "gedrēog",
        "t": "calm, quiet; sober; fit, suitable",
        "pos": "adjective"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English gedrēog (“calm, quiet; sober; fit, suitable”, adjective)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "non",
        "3": "drjúgr",
        "t": "sufficient; excessive, very; great; strong"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Norse drjúgr (“sufficient; excessive, very; great; strong”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*dreugaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *dreugaz"
    },
    {
      "name": "doublet",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dreich"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of dreich"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "etymology 1",
      "#Etymology 1"
    ],
    [
      "dree",
      "dree#Scots"
    ],
    [
      "dri",
      "dri#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "drie",
      "drie#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "dregh",
      "dregh#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "dreghe",
      "dreghe#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "dregh",
      "dregh#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "dri",
      "dri#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "drie",
      "drie#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "*drēog",
      "Reconstruction:Old English/dreog"
    ],
    [
      "*drēoȝ",
      "Reconstruction:Old English/dreoȝ"
    ],
    [
      "dreoh",
      "dreoh#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "gedrēog",
      "gedreog#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "drjúgr",
      "drjúgr#Old_Norse"
    ],
    [
      "*dreugaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/dreugaz"
    ],
    [
      "dreich",
      "dreich#English"
    ]
  ],
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        "Grief; suffering; trouble."
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
adv

Of the doing of a task: with concentration; laboriously. · Chiefly of the falling of rain: without pause or stop; continuously, incessantly. · Slowly, tediously.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From dreich (adjective).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "descendants": [],
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    {
      "pos": "adv",
      "glosses": [
        "Of the doing of a task: with concentration; laboriously.",
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        "Slowly, tediously."
      ],
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
adj

Alternative form of dreich.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See dreich.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "pos": "adj",
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        "Alternative form of dreich."
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for dree →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
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Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZHJlZQ