English word freak comes from Proto-Indo-European *(s)pereg-, Proto-Indo-European *pereg-, and later Proto-Germanic *frekaz (Greedy.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *(s)pereg- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | to be quick, twitch, sprinkle, splash, to strew, jerk, sprinkle, scatter, to shrug, be quick, twitch, splash, blast, to twitch, flip, shoot, splash, make a sound |
| *pereg- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *preg- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *frekaz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Greedy. |
| *frekô | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | A bold warrior. An active or eager man. Wolf. |
| freca | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | |
| freike | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | |
| freak | English (en) | (UK, _, dialectal, Scotland) A fellow; a petulant young man.. A man, particularly a bold, strong, vigorous man. |