An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Bruch

by Friedrich Kluge

Bruch (1.), m., ‘breach, rupture, crack,’ from MidHG. bruch, OHG. bruh, m.; formed by gradation from brechen.

Bruch (2.), m., n., ‘damp meadow, marsh, bog,’ a Franc.-Sax. word from MidHG. bruoch, OHG. bruoh(hh), n. m., ‘marshy soil, swamp’; comp. LG. brôk, Du. broek, ‘marsh-land,’ AS. brôk, ‘brook, current, river,’ E. brook. Similarly MidHG. ouwe combines the meanings of ‘water-stream, watery land, island.’ It is possible that West Teut. *broka- is allied to brechen, a supposition that has been put forward on account of the AS. meaning ‘torrent’; in that case the OHG. sense ‘swamp’ would be based upon ‘a place where water gushes out.’

Bruch (3.), f., n., ‘breeches,’ from MidHG. bruoch, OHG. bruoh(hh), f., ‘breeches covering the hip and upper part of the thigh’ (akin to AS. brêc, E. breech); comp. the corresponding AS. brôc, plur. brêc, E. breeches, MidLG. brôk, Du. broek, OIc. brók, ‘breeches.’ It has been asserted that the common. Teut. brôk- has been borrowed from the equiv. Gall.-Lat. brâca (likewise Rom., comp. Ital. brache, Fr. braies); but AS. brêc, ‘rump,’ shows that Bruch contains a Teut. stem; hence the Gall.-Lat. word is more likely borrowed from Teut.; comp. Hemd.