freck

freck · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*sp(h)er(e)g-, *(s)pregʰ-“to sprinkle, strew”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*sprekalą“freckle”
3. Old Norse · derived fromfreknur pl
4. Middle English · inherited fromfracle
5. English todayfreck

The noun is a clipping of freckle (noun). Freckle is derived from frecken (“(obsolete except UK, dialectal) freckle”)), from Late Middle English fracle, frekel, frekle (“freckle; pimple; fleck of colour in a stone”), a variant of frakne, freken (“freckle; other skin blemish”) from Old Norse freknur pl, an s-less variant of Proto-Germanic *sprekalą (“freckle”), from Proto-Indo-European *sp(h)er(e)g-, *(s)pregʰ- (“to sprinkle, strew”). The verb is a clipping of freckle (noun) or freckle (verb).

freck · adjective²

1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*preg-“to covet; to yearn”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*frekaz“greedy”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*frek“greedy”
4. Old English · inherited fromfrec
5. Middle English · inherited fromfrecch
6. English todayfreck

From Middle English frecch, frecche (“bold, brave; fierce; greedy, voracious”), frek (“bold, brave; fierce; eager, zealous; fast, quick; greedy (?)”), from Old English frec, fræc (“audacious, bold; greedy”) from Proto-West Germanic *frek (“greedy”), from Proto-Germanic *frekaz (“greedy”), from Proto-Indo-European *preg- (“to covet; to yearn”).

Words from the same roots