An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Frevel

by Friedrich Kluge

Frevel, masculine, ‘wanton offence, outrage, sacrilege,’ from Middle High German vręvel, feminine, masculine, ‘boldness, presumption, arrogance, insolence, violence,’ Old High German fravilî, feminine, ‘boldness, daring, insolence’; abstract substantive from the Old High German adjective fravili, fręvili, Middle High German vręvele, ‘bold, proud, daring, insolent,’ Modern High German frevel, adjective; compare Anglo-Saxon frœfele, ‘daring,’ Dutch wrevel, ‘outrage.’ Connected with the High German adjective are two or three difficult forms which furnish a hint for discovering the etymology. Old High German fraballîcho, adverb with b, and frabarî, feminine, ‘audacia,’ with b and r. Parallel to Middle High German vręvel there exists a form vor-ęvel, ver-ęvel, corresponding to Middle High German ver-ëȥȥen, compared with vr-ëȥȥen. We have probably to assume a Gothic *fraabls, or rather *fra afls (compare fressen), and with this Old Icelandic afl, neuter, ‘power, strength,’ and Old High German avalôn, ‘to torment oneself, work,’ are closely connected. In Old High German fra was preserved as a fully accented prefix in adjectives, as in frá-bald, ‘daring,’ from bald, ‘bold.’ See Fracht (a compound containing Gothic fra). —