An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Bracke

by Friedrich Kluge

Bracke, masculine, ‘setter, beagle,’ from the equivalent Middle High German and Middle Low German bracke, Old High German braccho; scarcely akin to Anglo-Saxon rœcc, English rach (‘setter’), and Old Icelandic rakke; in this case the initial b of the German word would be equal to bi (see be-, bei), which is improbable. English brach (‘setter, beagle’), from Middle English brache, is derived from Old French brache, which, with its Romance cognates (compare Italian bracco, French braque, brachet), is of German origin. If we must assume Gothic *brakka-, the word, on account of the meaning ‘hound,’ might be connected with Latin fragrare, ‘to smell strongly.’