vreka

Old Norse

Alternative forms

• reka

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *wrekaną, whence also Old English wrecan (English wreak), Old High German rehhan, Old Saxon wrekan, Gothic 𐍅𐍂𐌹𐌺𐌰𐌽 (wrikan).

Verb

vreka

1. to drive (away), to chase away
2. to avenge, take vengeance
   • 800s, Anonymous, Vafþrúðnismǫ́l (‘the speeches of Vafþrúðnir’), stanza 2

     Ulfr glęypa / mun Aldafǫðr,
     þess mun Víðarr vreka;
     kalda kjapta / hann klyfja mun
     vitnis vígi at.

     The wolf will swallow the father of men <= Óðinn>; Víðarr will avenge that. The cold jaws he will cleave at the fight with the wolf.

Conjugation

infinitive	vreka
present participle	vrekandi
past participle	vrekinn
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	vrek	vrak
2nd-person singular	vrekr	vrakt
3rd-person singular	vrekr	vrak
1st-person plural	vrekum	vrákum
2nd-person plural	vrekið	vrákuð
3rd-person plural	vreka	vráku
subjunctive	present	past
1st-person singular	vreka	vræka
2nd-person singular	vrekir	vrækir
3rd-person singular	vreki	vræki
1st-person plural	vrekim	vrækim
2nd-person plural	vrekið	vrækið
3rd-person plural	vreki	vræki
imperative	present
2nd-person singular	vrek
1st-person plural	vrekum
2nd-person plural	vrekið

Conjugation of vreka — active (strong class 5)

infinitive	vrekask
present participle	vrekandisk
past participle	vrekizk
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	vrekumk	vrákumk
2nd-person singular	vreksk	vrakzk
3rd-person singular	vreksk	vraksk
1st-person plural	vrekumsk	vrákumsk
2nd-person plural	vrekizk	vrákuzk
3rd-person plural	vrekask	vrákusk
subjunctive	present	past
1st-person singular	vrekumk	vrækumk
2nd-person singular	vrekisk	vrækisk
3rd-person singular	vrekisk	vrækisk
1st-person plural	vrekimsk	vrækimsk
2nd-person plural	vrekizk	vrækizk
3rd-person plural	vrekisk	vrækisk
imperative	present
2nd-person singular	vreksk
1st-person plural	vrekumsk
2nd-person plural	vrekizk

Conjugation of vreka — mediopassive (strong class 5)

Derived terms

• rek (“jetsum; prosecution”)
• rekhvalr (“a whale drifted ashore”)
• reki (“jetsum; persecution; driver”)
• rekingr (“wretch”)
• rǿkr (“deserving to be driven out”)

Descendants

• Icelandic: reka
• Faroese: reka
• Norwegian: reke
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: reka
• Old Swedish: vræka, rwæka
  • Swedish: vräka, räka (dialectal)
• Danish: vrage
• Gutnish: bräkä