An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/spröde

by Friedrich Kluge

spröde, adjective, ‘brittle; shy, coy,’ Modern High German only; corresponding to ModFlem. sprooi, early Modern Dutch spru, Middle English sprêþe, ‘infirm, brittle.’ The adjective, an old formation (like blöde and müde) from the Teutonic root sprē̆w, ‘to be scattered as dust’ (see Spreu), is not recorded, probably only by chance, in the earlier periods of the language.