Indo-European Lexicon

PIE Etymon and IE Reflexes

Below we display: a Proto-Indo-European (PIE) etymon adapted from Pokorny, with our own English gloss; our Semantic Field assignment(s) for the etymon, linked to information about the field(s); an optional Comment; and Reflexes (derived words) in various Indo-European languages, organized by family/group in west-to-east order where Germanic is split into West/North/East families and English, our language of primary emphasis, is artificially separated from West Germanic. IE Reflexes appear most often as single words with any optional letter(s) enclosed in parentheses; but alternative full spellings are separated by '/' and "principal parts" appear in a standard order (e.g. masculine, feminine, and neuter forms) separated by commas.

Reflexes are annotated with: Part-of-Speech and/or other Grammatical feature(s); a short Gloss which, especially for modern English reflexes, may be confined to the oldest sense; and some Source citation(s) with 'LRC' always understood as editor. Keys to PoS/Gram feature abbreviations and Source codes appear below the reflexes; at the end are links to the previous/next etyma [in Pokorny's alphabetic order] that have reflexes.

All reflex pages are currently under active construction; as time goes on, corrections may be made and/or more etyma & reflexes may be added.

Pokorny Etymon: 1. bhreg̑-   'to break'

Semantic Field(s): to Break

 

Indo-European Reflexes:

Family/Language Reflex(es) PoS/Gram. Gloss Source(s)
Celtic  
Middle Irish: braigid vb.3.sg breaks wind W7
English  
Old English: brǣcon adj fragile GED
bre(a)htm, bearhtm, beorhtm, byrhtm n.str.masc noise ASD/GED
brecan vb to break W7
brōc, brēc n breech(es), leg covering(s) W7
bryce n breach, breaking, fragment GED
gebrecan, gebræc, gebrǣcon, gebrocen vb.str.IV to break, destroy, subdue LRC
gebroc n.neut fragment ASD/GED
gebrocian, gebrocede, gebroced vb.wk.II to crush, hurt, afflict LRC
Middle English: brake n brake, thicket W7
braken vb to spew, vomit W7
brayen vb to bray W7
breche n breach W7
breech, breeches n breech(es) W7
breken vb to break W7
fraccioun n fraction W7
fragment n fragment W7
frail adj frail W7
frangible adj frangible W7
refreyn vb to refrain W7
saxifrage n saxifrage W7
suffrage n suffrage W7
English: anfractuous adj tortuous, full of windings/intricate turnings AHD/W7
bracken n large coarse fern AHD/W7
brake n toothed machine/instrument for separating out flax/hemp fiber AHD/W7
brake n thicket (e.g. of ferns) AHD/W7
brash n mass of fragments (e.g. of ice) AHD/W7
brash vb to breach a wall AHD/W7
bray vb to utter cry characteristic of donkey AHD/W7
breach n infraction/violation of law/standard/obligation AHD/W7
break, broke, brake, broken vb.str to render in pieces suddenly/violently AHD/W7
breccia n rock with sharp-angled fragments in fine-grained matrix AHD
breech, breeches n pants, short trousers IEW/W7
brioche n roll made from light yeast dough with ample eggs/butter AHD/W7
chamfer n beveled edge AHD/W7
defray vb.trans to pay/provide for payment AHD/W7
diffraction n prismatic effect on light by ruled surface etc. AHD/W7
fractal n irregular self-similar geometric shape AHD
fracted adj broken AHD/W7
fraction n representation of two numbers divided AHD/W7
fractious adj troublesome, refractory AHD/W7
fracture n break, rupture AHD/W7
fragile adj frail, easily broken/destroyed AHD/W7
fragment n piece detached/broken off AHD/W7
frail adj eaily led into evil AHD/W7
frangible adj breakable AHD/W7
infract vb.trans to violate, infringe AHD/W7
infrangible adj non-breakable AHD/W7
infringe vb to frustrate, defeat AHD/W7
irrefragable adj inviolable, impossible to deny/refute AHD/W7
irrefrangible adj incapable of refraction AHD/W7
ossifrage n European bird of prey AHD/W7
refract vb.trans to bend (e.g. path of light) AHD/W7
refrain n chorus, regularly recurring phrase/verse at end of stanza AHD/W7
refringent adj refracting, refractive AHD/W7
sassafras n tall eastern North American tree AHD/W7
saxifrage n mostly perennial herb with pentamerous flowers AHD/W7
septifragal adj re: dehiscing by breaking away AHD/W7
suffragan n diocesan bishop subordinate to metropolitan AHD/W7
suffrage n supplication, intercessory prayer AHD/W7
West Germanic  
Old Frisian: breka vb.str to break GED
breke n.str.masc breach GED
Frisian: brekke vb to break ASD
Middle Dutch: broc n.wk.masc crumb GED
Dutch: breken vb to break ASD
broek n breech, trousers TLL
Old Saxon: braht n.str.masc crash GED
brahtum n.str.masc noise GED
brekan vb.str to break GED
brocnussi n ruin GED
Middle Low German: brak n.str.masc crash GED
broc n.wk.masc crumb GED
broke n.str.masc breach GED
Old High German: braht n.str.masc crash GED
brehhan vb to break W7
brocco, brocko n.wk.masc crumb, fragment GED
bruh n.str.masc breach GED
(ga)brechan vb.str to break ASD/GED
Middle High German: brach n.str.masc crash GED
brëchen vb to break ASD
German: brechen vb to break ASD
Bruch n.masc breach, break, crash LRC
North Germanic  
Old Norse: braka, brakað vb to crack, creak LRC
Old Icelandic: braigd n fart GED
brak n.str.neut creaking noise GED
brakan n.str.fem creaking GED
Icelandic: brak n.neut noise ASD
braka vb to creak ASD
Danish: brag n.neut noise ASD
bräkke vb to break ASD
Old Swedish: brækne n fern W7
Swedish: brak n.neut noise ASD
bråka, bräcka vb to break ASD
East Germanic  
Gothic: brakja n.fem struggle GED
*brikan vb.str.IV to break, destroy GED
*gabrikan vb.str.IV to break up GED
*gabruka n.str.fem crumb, fragment GED
ufbrikan vb.str.IV to despise GED
usbruknan vb.wk.IV to be broken off GED
Italic  
Latin: anfractus n.masc coil, bend W7
diffractus vb.ptc broken apart W7
diffringo, diffringere vb to break apart W7
fragilis adj fragile GED
fragmentum n.neut a broken part W7
fragor, fragoris n.masc noise, crash(ing) GED
frango, frangere, fregi, fractus vb to break W7
infringo, infringere, infregi, infractus vb to break off W7
ossifraga n.fem sea eagle W7
ossifragus adj bone-breaking W7
refragor, refragāri, refractus vb to oppose W7
refringo, refringere vb to refract, break up, open W7
saxifraga n.fem saxifrage W7
saxifragus n.masc breaking rocks W7
suffrāgium n.neut vote, ballot, suffrage, lit. noisy agreement GED
suffragor, suffragāri vb to support with one's vote W7
Late Latin: anfractuosus adj anfractuous W7
fractio, fractionis n.fem act of breaking W7
infrangibilis adj unbreakable W7
irrefragabilis adj impossible to oppose to W7
saxifraga n.fem saxifrage W7
Medieval Latin: frangibilis adj frangible W7
frango, frangere vb to break W7
suffraganeus adj of support W7
suffragium n.neut support, prayer W7
New Latin: diffractio, diffractionis n.fem diffraction W7
Spanish: sasafrás n.masc sassafras W7
Old French: braire vb to cry W7
frai n.masc expenditure, damage by breaking W7
frayer vb to defray, spend W7
Middle French: chanfraindre, chanfreint vb to bevel W7
chant n.masc edge W7
deffrayer vb to defray W7
fra(g)ile adj frail, fragile W7
frangible adj possible to break W7
frayer vb to rub, expend W7
infrangible adj impossible to break W7
refraindre vb to resound, restrain W7
saxifrage n.masc saxifrage, an herb W7
suffrage n.masc suffrage W7
French: anfractueux adj rugged W7
brioche n.fem brioche, pastry W7
fragile adj fragile TLL
frêle adj frail TLL
Italian: breccia n breccia AHD
Baltic  
Lithuanian: barškė́ti n clatter GED
Indic  
Sanskrit: giri-bhráj- adj breaking out of the mountains GED

 

Key to Part-of-Speech/Grammatical feature abbreviations:

Abbrev. Meaning
II=class 2
IV=class 4
adj=adjective
fem=feminine (gender)
masc=masculine (gender)
n=noun
neut=neuter (gender)
ptc=participle
sg=singular (number)
str=strong (inflection)
trans=transitive
vb=verb
wk=weak (inflection)
3=3rd person

Key to information Source codes (always with 'LRC' as editor):

Code Citation
AHD=Calvert Watkins: The American Heritage Dictionary of Indo-European Roots, 2nd ed. (2000)
ASD=Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller: An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary (1898)
GED=Winfred P. Lehmann: A Gothic Etymological Dictionary (1986)
IEW=Julius Pokorny: Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (1959)
LRC=Linguistics Research Center, University of Texas, Austin
TLL=Frederick Bodmer: The Loom of Language (1944)
W7=Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1963)

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