breken

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch brēken, from Old Dutch *brecan, from Proto-West Germanic *brekan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbreːkə(n)/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: bre‧ken
• Rhymes: -eːkən

Verb

breken

1. (ergative) to break

Inflection

Conjugation of breken (strong class 4)
infinitive	breken
past singular	brak
past participle	gebroken
infinitive	breken
gerund	breken n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	breek	brak
2nd person sing. (jij)	breekt, breek2	brak
2nd person sing. (u)	breekt	brak
2nd person sing. (gij)	breekt	braakt
3rd person singular	breekt	brak
plural	breken	braken
subjunctive sing.1	breke	brake
subjunctive plur.1	breken	braken
imperative sing.	breek
imperative plur.1	breekt
participles	brekend	gebroken
1) Archaic. 2) In case of inversion.

Derived terms

• aanbreken
• afbreken
• binnenbreken
• doorbreken
• inbreken
• losbreken
• onderbreken
• ontbreken
• opbreken
• openbreken
• steenbreek
• stukbreken
• uitbreken
• verbreken
• wegbreken

Related terms

• breuk
• braak
• inbraak

Descendants

• Afrikaans: breek
• Berbice Creole Dutch: breke
• Negerhollands: breek

Anagrams

• berken

Low German

Alternative forms

• bräken
• briäken
• braeken, breaken, brekken (New Saxon Spelling)

Etymology

From Middle Low German brēken, from Old Saxon brekan, from Proto-West Germanic *brekan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-. Cognate to Plautdietsch bräken, Dutch breken, German brechen, West Frisian brekke, English break, Danish brække.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [breːkⁿŋ̩]

Verb

breken (third-person singular simple present brickt, past tense brook, past participle braken, auxiliary verb hebben)

1. to break

Conjugation

Conjugation of breken (class 4 strong verb)

infinitive	breken
indicative	present	preterite
1st person singular	breek	brook
2nd person singular	bricks(t)	brooks(t)
3rd person singular	brick(t)	brook
plural	breekt, breeken	broken
imperative	present	—
singular	breek
plural	breekt
participle	present	past
	breken	(e)braken, gebraken
Note: This conjugation is one of many; neither its grammar nor spelling apply to all dialects.

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *brecan, from Proto-West Germanic *brekan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-.

Verb

brēken

1. to break, to break into pieces
2. to break, to be broken
3. to destroy
4. to break in
5. to end, to diminish, to weaken
6. to break, to overcome resistance, to subdue

Inflection

Strong class 4
Infinitive	brēken
3rd sg. past	brac
3rd pl. past	brâken
Past participle	gebroken
Infinitive	brēken
In genitive	brēkens
In dative	brēkene
Indicative	Present	Past
1st singular	brēke	brac
2nd singular	brēecs, brēkes	brâecs, brâkes
3rd singular	brēect, brēket	brac
1st plural	brēken	brâken
2nd plural	brēect, brēket	brâect, brâket
3rd plural	brēken	brâken
Subjunctive	Present	Past
1st singular	brēke	brâke
2nd singular	brēecs, brēkes	brâkes
3rd singular	brēke	brâke
1st plural	brēken	brâken
2nd plural	brēect, brēket	brâket
3rd plural	brēken	brâken
Imperative	Present
Singular	brec, brēec, brēke
Plural	brēect, brēket
	Present	Past
Participle	brēkende	gebroken

Derived terms

• gebrēken
• misbrēken
• ontbrēken
• tebrēken
• verbrēken

Descendants

• Dutch: breken
• Limburgish: braeke

Further reading

• “breken (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “breken”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English

Alternative forms

• breoken, braken

Etymology

From Old English brecan, from Proto-West Germanic *brekan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną. Doublet of brayen (“to break up”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbrɛːkən/

Verb

breken

1. to break

Conjugation

Conjugation of breken (strong class 4)

infinitive	(to) breken, breke
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	breke	brak, brek
2nd-person singular	brekest	breke, brake, brak, brek
3rd-person singular	breketh	brak, brek
subjunctive singular	breke	breke1, brake1
imperative singular		—
plural2	breken, breke	breken, breke, braken, brake
imperative plural	breketh, breke	—
participles	brekynge, brekende	broken, broke, ybroken, ybroke

¹Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
²Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Derived terms

• breker

Descendants

• English: break
• Scots: breke, brick, brak
• Yola: brough, brocke, brek

References

• “brēken, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.