English
forbreak
Forbreak comes from Old English forbrecan ‘to break up, break in pieces, violate, destroy’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰreg-‘to break’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frabrekaną‘to break up’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150forbrecan‘to break up, break in pieces, violate, destroy’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forbreken
- Englishtodayforbreak
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰreg-‘to break’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*frabrekaną‘to break up’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150forbrecan‘to break up, break in pieces, violate, destroy’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500forbreken
- Englishtodayforbreak
Formed from for- ‘fully, up’ + break
Proto-Indo-European *pro- ‘before, in front of’
Proto-Germanic *fra- ‘off, away’
Proto-West Germanic *fra- ‘forms verbs with the sense of "away from" or…’
English for-
Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- ‘to break’
…
Proto-Germanic *brekaną ‘to break’
Proto-West Germanic *brekan ‘to break’
Old English brecan ‘to break’
Middle English breken ‘to break up or split’
English break
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- ‘to break’
broken, broke, fraction, fragile, brigade, bracket, fragment, fracture, brake, refrain, suffrage, frail, bray, fret, infringe, fractal, breaker, refractory, unbreakable, breech, brogan, brogue, 36 more
Today it means
verb To break in pieces, break up, destroy.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- / forbreak