An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/bersten

by Friedrich Kluge

bersten, ‘to burst, crack,’ from MidHG. brësten, OHG. brëstan, ‘to break, tear, burst,’ impersonal ‘to be wanting, lacking’; er for re is properly LG. and MidG.; comp. Du. bersten, AS. berstan, E. to burst. Comp. farther the Aryan root bhrest (cognate with the root of brechen), in OIr. brissim, ‘I break’ (ss from st).