An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/spröde

by Friedrich Kluge

spröde, adj., ‘brittle; shy, coy,’ ModHG. only; corresponding to ModFlem. sprooi, early ModDu. spru, MidE. sprêþe, ‘infirm, brittle.’ The adj., an old formation (like blöde and müde) from the Teut. root sprē̆w, ‘to be scattered as dust’ (see Spreu), is not recorded, probably only by chance, in the earlier periods of the language.