kräk

Swedish

Etymology

Deverbal from Old Swedish kræka (“to crawl”), possibly with the original sense "to curve" (and if so, related to krake and krok). Originally of smaller creeping or crawling animals, "lower" animals. Compare Norwegian Nynorsk krek.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /krɛːk/
• Rhymes: -ɛːk

Noun

kräk n

1. (derogatory) someone despicable, scum

   De är kräk som ger sig på oskyldiga

   They're scum to go after innocents

2. (derogatory) someone weak, spineless, insignificant, etc.

   en skara ynkliga kräk

   a bunch of pitiful worms

3. a disagreeable or pitiable (pity-evoking) animal (like "pitiful," but used as a generic invective towards disagreeable animals)

   Ge kattkräket lite mat

   Give the poor cat some food

   Rådjurskräken har ätit upp alla äpplen

   Those damn deer have eaten all the apples

4. (colloquial) a domestic animal, especially of cattle
5. (colloquial) puke (matter ejaculated when vomiting – compare kräkas)

   Det ligger kräk på golvet

   There's puke on the floor

Declension

Declension of kräk

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	kräk	kräks
	definite	kräket	kräkets
plural	indefinite	kräk	kräks
	definite	kräken	kräkens

See also

• avskum

References

• kräk in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• kräk in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• kräk in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)
• kräk in Elof Hellquist, Svensk etymologisk ordbok (1st ed., 1922)