An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/dreist

by Friedrich Kluge

dreist, adjective, ‘bold, audacious, self-confident,’ simply Modern High German, from the equivalent Low German drîste (hence dreist is not found in the Upper German dialects); compare Old Saxon thrîsti, Dutch driest, Anglo-Saxon þrîste, ‘bold, daring.’ The similarity in the initial sound with Latin tristis, ‘sad,’ is perhaps of no etymological value; as, however, a similar change of meaning is met with in the cognates of Modern High German tapfer, Latin tristis and Old Saxon thrîsti may perhaps be derived from a common root. Otherwise it might well be connected with dringen, Old Saxon thrîsti, for thrîhsti, from þrinh-sti?.