An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/brauchen

by Friedrich Kluge

brauchen, vb., ‘to use, need, want, require,’ from the equiv. MidHG. brûchen, OHG. brûhhan; comp. the corresponding AS. brûcan, ‘to enjoy,’ also ‘to digest, tolerate,’ E. to brook; Goth. *brûkjan, ‘to use, enjoy.’ Not found orig. in Scand. The pre-Teut. form of the root bhrū̆g accords with Lat. fruor, which originated in *fruvor for *frugvor; the Lat. partic. fructus, which phonetically is identical with gebraucht and Goth. brûhts, shows the final guttural of the root, and so does Lat. fruges, &c. The following are Teut. noun forms from the root brûk (bhrûg): ModHG. Brauch, m. (comp. OHG. brûh), Goth. brûks, AS. brŷce, OHG. brûchi, ‘serviceable, useful.’