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freakEnglish (en) · Etymology 1Source text
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *preg- Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Germanic *-az Proto-Germanic *frekaz Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ti Proto-Germanic *-ōną Proto-Germanic *frekōną Proto-West Germanic *frekōn Old English frician? Old English frīcian Middle English friken? ▲ Proto-Germanic *frekaz Proto-West Germanic *frek Old English frec English frekder.? English freak First attested in 1567. The sense "sudden change of mind, a whim" is of uncertain origin. Probably from a dialectal word related to Middle English frekynge (“capricious behavior; whims”) and Middle English friken, frikien (“to move briskly or nimbly”), from Old English frīcian (“to leap, dance”), or Middle English frek (“insolent, daring”), from Old English frec (“desirous, greedy, eager, bold, daring”), from Proto-West Germanic *frek, from Proto-Germanic *frekaz, *frakaz (“hard, efficient, greedy, bold, audacious”) (in which case, it would be related to the noun under etymology 3). Compare Old High German freh (“eager”), Old English frēcne (“dangerous”). For the meaning development compare Russian заско́к (zaskók) akin to ско́к (skók), скака́ть (skakátʹ).
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗freakEnglish (en) · Etymology 2Source text
The verb is a variant of freck. The noun is derived from the verb.
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗freakEnglish (en) · Etymology 3Source text
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *preg- Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Germanic *-az Proto-Germanic *frekaz Proto-Indo-European *-ō Proto-Germanic *-ô Proto-Germanic *frekô Old English freca Middle English freke English freak From Middle English freke, freike (“a bold man, warrior, man, creature”), from Old English freca (“a bold man, warrior, hero”), from Proto-Germanic *frekô (“an active or eager man, warrior, wolf”), from *frekaz (“active, bold, desirous, greedy”), from Proto-Indo-European *pereg-, *spereg- (“to shrug, be quick, twitch, splash, blast”). Cognate with Old Norse freki (“greedy or avaricious one, a wolf”), Old High German freh (“eager”), German frech, Old English frēcne (“dangerous, daring, courageous, bold”).
Original Wiktionary entry and references ↗INDEPENDENT SOURCE LIBRARY
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Chambers (1908)
1908- FreakEnglish · e-38538-2245
Freak, frēk, n. a sudden caprice or fancy: sport: an abnormal production of nature, a monstrosity.—ns. Freak′iness, Freak′ishness.—adjs. Freak′ish, Freak′ful, apt to change the mind suddenly: capricious.—adv. Freak′ishly
Read the full source record → - FreakEnglish · e-38538-2246
Freak, frēk, v.t. to spot or streak: to variegate.—n. a streak of colour.
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