Etymology

Cp. OIcel þrá (neut.) 'hard struggle, obstinacy' (and also þrá (fem.) 'longing, yearning', from which it cannot always be differentiated), derived on the root of the adj. PGmc *þrawa- (see þro (adj.)), cp. OE þrawu, þrēa (masc., fem and neut.) ‘threat, oppression, menace, abuse’, OS thrā-werk 'suffering, torment', OHG drawa, drōa 'threat, blame, burden'.

PGmc Ancestor

*þrawan

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

þrá (neut.) 'hard struggle, obstinacy', cp. þrá (fem.) 'longing, yearning'
(ONP þrá (2) (sb.), cp. þrá (1) (sb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far trá, Icel þrá, Norw trå, tråe, ODan trå, Dan attrå, Sw dial tråe, åtrå

OE Cognate

þrawu, þrēa (masc., fem and neut.) ‘threat, oppression, menace, abuse’

Phonological and morphological markers

ON loss of */w/ medially and compensatory lengthening

Summary category

A1a

Attestation

MED and OED have citations from the early 14c. in a variety of dial contexts, though the sense development 'wrath' occurs in a few N alliterative texts. See also þro (adj.).

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Cl 754; Pat 6, 8; WA 2259, 2282, 5016

Bibliography

MED thrō (n.) , OED thro, thra (n.) , HTOED ,  Bj. 106-7, de Vries þrá (3), þrá (1), Mag. þrá (1), Mag. þrá (2), Orel *þrawan, Kroonen *þrawō, AEW đrea