vrek

From Dutch verrekken, itself (semantically) from German verrecken. The sense “to die” is apparently first attested in South African Dutch (1752) and may thus have been borrowed locally. The contracted form might also be from German, where it is widely found in dialects, but compare on the other hand Sranan Tongo frèk.

vrek (present vrek, present participle vrekkende, past participle gevrek)

1. (of plants and animals) to die
2. (of people, derogatory) to die, buy it, bite the dust

• sterf, doodgaan

• vreck (obsolete)
• vrak, vrack (obsolete, ablaut)
• wrack, wreck (obsolete, hypercorrect spelling)

From Middle Dutch vrec, vrek (“miserly; miser”), from Old Dutch *frek, from Proto-West Germanic *frek, from Proto-Germanic *frekaz. Originally an adjective, but substantivised in early Middle Dutch at the latest. Cognate to German frech (Old High German freh), Old English frec.

• IPA^(key): /vrɛk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: vrek
• Rhymes: -ɛk

vrek m (plural vrekken, diminutive vrekje n)

1. scrooge, miser

   Synonyms: duitenkliever, gierigaard

   Boer Munte is een vreselijke vrek, die zijn zoon snoep noch speelgoed gunt.

   Farmer Coyn is a terrible miser, who lets his son have candy nor toys.

• vrekheid
• vrekkerig
• vrekkig

vrek (comparative vrekker, superlative vrekst)

1. (obsolete) miserly, avaricious

   Synonyms: gierig, vrekkerig, vrekkig