We already have “Breakfast” – to break one’s fast – but here is one of the common-word components. Long, long ago, I thought that words were always funny or serious or highfalutin’, and I quickly abandoned that idea. Yet this morning I feel as though “Break” is much more mournful and high than it is not.

• 1.010 that sailed up into the air without breaking
• 1.073 We must away ere break of day
• 1.077 We must away, ere break of day,
• 1.082 We must away, ere break of day,
• 1.091 before the break of day start on our long journey,
• 1.141 and mind you don’t break ’em.’
• 1.144 We must away, ere break of day,
• 1.145 It was long after the break of day,
• 2.031 The wind broke up the grey clouds,
• 3.007 to break the ground
• 4.002 and the silence seemed to dislike being broken
• 4.023 and packages lying broken open,
• 5.004 It was not broken,
• 6.083 in the air with his arms nearly breaking.
• 8.008 and fallen leaving only the broken posts near the bank.
• 9.056 but at last the jostling crowd began to break up
• 9.060 Before long the barrels broke free again
• 9.061 and broken reflections
• 10.002 filled with the waters of the river which broke up
• 11.004 and only broken
• 11.015 they spoke fragments of broken spells of opening,
• 11.019 broken by no bird or sound
• 11.019 and the steel heads broke or bent like lead.
• 12.091 He will break all this side of the Mountain to bits,
• 12.101 He was breaking rocks to pieces,
• 13.002 and blocked with broken rock.
• 13.046 and broken drinking-horns
• 13.055 The road from the Gate along the left edge of the stream seems all broken up.
• 15.026 had long ago been broken
• 17.010 Thorin at length broke the silence,
• 17.044 in the broken lands
• 18.023 and broke like a clap of thunder through the ring.