freak

freak · noun, verb, adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European*preg-
2. Proto-Germanic*frekaz
3. Proto-Germanic*frekōną
4. Proto-West Germanic*frekōn
5. Old Englishfrician?
6. Old Englishfrīcian
7. Middle Englishfriken?
8. Proto-Germanic*frekaz
9. Proto-West Germanic*frek
10. Old Englishfrec
11. Englishfrekder.?
12. English todayfreak

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).

freak · verb, noun²

The verb is a variant of freck. The noun is derived from the verb.

freak · noun³

1. Proto-Indo-European*preg-
2. Proto-Germanic*frekaz
3. Proto-Germanic*frekô
4. Old Englishfreca
5. Middle Englishfreke
6. English todayfreak

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”).

Words from the same roots