köken: A merger of two unrelated adjectives: * Old Norse *brantr (east), brattr (west), from Proto-Germanic *brantaz, cognate with Norwegian bratt, Swedish brant, English brant. * Old Norse bráðr (“hasty, sudden”), from Proto-Germanic *brēþaz (“hot, in a hurry, rushed”), cognate with Norwegian brå, Swedish bråd. In early modern Danish, the latter meaning also had the form brad, with the neuter bradt.
From late Middle High German plotzlich, from Plotz (“clap, slap”) (onomatopoeic), originally adverb, since Luther also in adjectival use. By synchronic analysis, from an onomatopoeic element plotz (“sound of a quick impact or blow”) + -lich (“-like”). Cognate with Hunsrik pletzlich. Compare also Middle Low German plutzlik (> Danish pludselig, Swedish plötslig). Related to Early New High German…