freak

• n.奇妙な人、奇妙なもの；奇形者；気まぐれさ
• adj.奇妙な、倒錯した

語源は不明。

freak (n.1)

1560s, "sudden and apparently causeless turn of mind," of unknown origin. Perhaps it is from a dialectal survival of a word related to Middle English friken "to move nimbly or briskly," from Old English frician "to dance" [OED, Barnhart]. There is a freking attested in mid-15c., apparently meaning "capricious behavior, whims." Or perhaps from Middle English frek "eager, zealous, bold, brave, fierce" (see freak (n.2)).

Sense of "capricious notion" (1560s) and "unusual thing, fancy" (1784) preceded that of "abnormally developed individual or production" (first in freak of nature, 1839, which was later popular in variety show advertisements for bearded ladies, albinos, etc.; compare Latin lusus natur?, which was used in English from 1660s). As "drug user," attested from 1945. The sense in health freak, ecology freak, etc. is attested from 1908 (originally Kodak freak, a camera buff). Freak show attested from 1887.

freak (v.)

"change, distort," 1911, from freak (n.1). Earlier, "to streak or fleck randomly" (1630s). Related: Freaked; freaking.

freak (n.2)

"brave man, warrior," Scottish freik, from Middle English freke "a bold man, a warrior, a man," from Old English freca "bold man, a warrior," from frec "greedy, eager, bold" (compare German frech "bold, impudent").

1. Weir broke his leg in a freak accident playing golf.

ウィルはゴルフ中に起きた突飛な事故で足を折った。

2.A freak wave had buckled the deck.

突然巻き起こった大波が甲板を曲げた。

3.By some freak of fate,she won an enormous sum of money.

彼女はどんな幸運を払ったのか、大金を勝ち取った。

4.It was a freak of mine to wear pink pajamas.

ピンクのパジャマを着るのは私の一時の奇想です。

5.A freak wave washed the two children away.

突然の波が2人の子供を巻き込んだ。