It means splitting, breaking, slashing, smashing, transgressing, twisting, bending. It can also mean reaching ruin, ruining, failing, sinking, shipwreck. Regarding the voice, it is to be broadcast choppy by crying.
Breaking is breaking or breaking something hard, figuratively destroying anything violently (as in "breaking the will") . It comes from the Latin crepare ( "crunch, sound to crumble" ) .