O.E. bręc "a breaking," from brecan (see break), infl. by O.Fr. breche, from Frankish; both from P.Gmc. *brecho, *bręko "broken," from PIE base *bhreg-. Fig. sense of "a breaking of rules, etc." was in O.E. The verb is first recorded 1573. Breach of contract is at least from 1833.
