An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/frech

by Friedrich Kluge

frech, adjective, ‘bold, insolent, shameless,’ from Middle High German vrëch, adjective, ‘courageous, bold, daring,’ Old High German frëh(hh), ‘covetous, greedy’; corresponding to Gothic *friks only in faíhufriks, ‘covetous, avaricious’ (with respect to faílu, ‘money,’ see Vieh), Old Icelandic frekr, ‘greedy,’ Anglo-Saxon frec, ‘daring.’ ‘Greedy’ was probably the primary meaning of the adjective stem freka- common to Teutonic; when specially applied to war it meant ‘eager for combat, daring’; Anglo-Saxon frëca acquired the meaning ‘warlike hero,’ earlier English freak, ‘hero, man.’ For early Teutonic words similarly restricted in meaning when applied to a warrior's life, see bereit, fertig, rüstig. There are derivatives of the Old Teutonic freka-, Gothic friks, in the Romance languages — Old French frique, ModProv. fricaud, ‘cheerful, lively.’ Teutonic freka-, from pre-Teutonic prĕgo-, scarcely belongs to fragen.