English
fraktur
Fraktur comes from German Fraktur ‘Fraktur, a traditional German subgroup of…’, from Latin fractūra ‘breaking’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰreg-‘to break’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrangō‘to break, shatter’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrāctūrus‘about to break or shatter (something)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfractūra‘breaking’
- Germanc. 1650–presentFraktur‘Fraktur, a traditional German subgroup of black letter typefaces’
- Englishtodayfraktur
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰreg-‘to break’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrangō‘to break, shatter’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfrāctūrus‘about to break or shatter (something)’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfractūra‘breaking’
- Germanc. 1650–presentFraktur‘Fraktur, a traditional German subgroup of black letter typefaces’
- Englishtodayfraktur
The story
First appears c. 1886 as fractur, and c. 1904 as fraktur, from German Fraktur, from Latin frāctūra (“breaking”, noun), from frangere (‘to break’), past participle fractus.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- ‘to break’
break, broken, broke, brigade, bracket, fraction, brake, bray, suffrage, breech, frail, brogan, brogue, 34 more
through Latin frangō ‘to break, shatter’
fragile, refrain, fragment, fret, infringe, diffraction, infraction, fractal, refractory, refraction, 15 more
through Latin fractūra ‘breaking’
Today it means
noun A style of black letter type, used especially in German-speaking countries from the 16th century until World War II.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- / fraktur