brechen German · revision 36180

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=8th century, Old High German glosses|origins=ine-pro *bʰreg-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbʁɛçən/, [ˈbʁɛçn̩], [ˈbʁɛxn̩]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''brechen''' (class 4 strong, third-person singular present bricht, past tense brach, past participle gebrochen, past subjunctive bräche, auxiliary haben or sein)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|brëchen]], [[inh|goh|brehhan]], [[inh|gem-pro|*brekaną|t=to break]].^(Kluge 2011|149)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) The same strong verb is [[got|𐌱𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽|tr=brikan]], [[osx|brekan]], [[ang|brecan]] and [[ofs|breka]], continued in [[nl|breken]] and [[en|break]].^(Kluge 2011|149)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Kroonen 2013) It continues [[ine-pro|*bʰreg-|t=to break]], whose present was often formed with a nasal infix that could displace the /r/.^(Kluge 2011|149) The closest match is [[la|frangō|t=to break]], with an /a/ but compare its perfect [[m|la|frēgī]]; without the /r/ come [[sga|bongid|t=breaks, reaps]] and [[lt|bengti|alt=beñgti|t=to finish]].^(Kluge 2011|149)^(Pfeifer 1993) Kroonen derives the Latin verb from a nasal present [[ine-pro|*bʰr̥g-néh₂-]] and the Germanic one from [[ine-pro|*bʰrég-e-]].^(Kroonen 2013)

+

+ The root may be an extension of a simpler [[ine-pro|*bʰer-|t=to strike]], found in [[non|berja|t=to strike, fight]] and [[m|la|feriō|t=to strike]].^(Kluge 2011|149)^(DWB2|5, 725) Within German the ablauting nouns [[Bruch]], [[Brocken]] and [[Brache]] belong to it.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''brehhan'' is first recorded in glosses of the late 8th century, where a prefixed form cannot be ruled out.^(DWB2|5, 725) About 830 the Tatian has the Jews ask Pilate that the legs of the crucified be broken.^(DWB2|5, 725) The Old High German senses already range from “to break, smash, tear, destroy” to “pluck”, “split” and “flicker”.^(Schützeichel 2012|58)^(Köbler AHD)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The verb was originally transitive and later also intransitive.^(Duden 7 2020) Many expressions keep old practices: ''eine Lanze für jemanden brechen'' comes from the tournament, ''den Stab über jemanden brechen'' from the breaking of a staff over a condemned criminal, and ''einen Streit vom Zaun brechen'' originally meant breaking a lath off a fence.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Paul 2002) Luther uses it for breaking bread and for breaking the law or marriage.^(Paul 2002)

+

+ The sense “to vomit” dates from the 14th century, from the stomach that “breaks out” with force.^(Kluge 2011|149)^(Duden 7 2020) Derived nouns are formed in ''-bruch'', ''-brechen'' and ''-brecher'', and [[Brecher]] “breaker (wave)” was modelled on English ''breaker'' in the 19th century.^(Kluge 2011|149)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) The French borrowings [[Bresche]] and [[Brikett]] came back into German from the same Germanic word.^(Kluge 2011|149)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 8th century – ''caprohchan'' in Old High German glosses.^(DWB2|5, 725)

+ * c. 830 – The Old High German Tatian uses the verb of breaking bones.^(DWB2|5, 725)

+ * Before 1022 – Notker writes of breaking teeth in the mouth.^(DWB2|5, 725)

+ * 14th century – Sense “to vomit”.^(Kluge 2011|149)

+ * 1482 – ''brechen'' “to vomit” in the Grimms' material.^(Paul 2002)

+ * 19th century – ''Brecher'' “breaker”, after English.^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Verb===

+ # ''(transitive)'' To [[m|en|break]] something hard into pieces: ''einen Ast in zwei Teile brechen''; also to quarry stone, to pick flowers.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(intransitive)'' To break, give way under pressure: ''Das Eis bricht.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(physics)'' To [[m|en|refract]] light or deflect waves; reflexive, to be deflected: ''Die Wellen brechen sich an der Mole.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # To overcome a resistance: ''den Widerstand brechen''; intransitive, to give way.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # ''mit etwas / jemandem brechen'': to break with a tradition or a person.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # Not to keep: to break a contract, a promise, the law.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(elevated)'' To burst out suddenly: ''Das Licht bricht durch die Wolken.''^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' To [[m|en|vomit]].^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(hunting)'' Of wild boar, to root up the ground.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary DE)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[aufbrechen]]

+ * [[ausbrechen]]

+ * [[einbrechen]]

+ * [[Einbrecher]]

+ * [[abbrechen]]

+ * [[unterbrechen]]

+ * [[zerbrechen]]

+ * [[erbrechen]]

+ * [[gebrechen]]

+ * [[Gebrechen]]

+ * [[gebrechlich]]

+ * [[verbrechen]]

+ * [[Verbrechen]]

+ * [[Brecher]]

+ * [[Brechung]]

+ * [[radebrechen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[anbrechen]]

+ * [[Brache]]

+ * [[Bruch]]

+ * [[Brocken]]

+ * [[Bresche]]

+ * [[en|break]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ Fixed phrases include ''eine Lanze für jemanden brechen'' “to stand up for someone”, ''etwas übers Knie brechen'' “to rush something” and ''zum Brechen voll'' “packed full”.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}