Where does “freak” come from?

Freak derives from Middle English freke, from Old English freca, from Proto-Germanic frekô and frekaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European pereg- and (s)per-.

freak (English): A sudden change of mind; Someone or something...

Definitions

  1. A sudden change of mind; Someone or something...

Ancestry of “freak”, step by step

freak traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English freke

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishfrekea bold man, warrior, man, creature
2Old Englishfrecaa bold man, warrior, hero
3Proto-Germanicfrekôan active or eager man; a bold warrior; wolf
4Proto-Germanicfrekazgreedy
5Proto-Indo-Europeanpereg-—

via Old English frician

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishfricianto desire, seek, yearn for; to dance; to leap
2Proto-Germanicfrekōnąto be greedy

Words derived from “freak”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European pereg- →