Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Bravo” come from?

Bravo comes from Spanish bravo, meaning "wild" or "untamed," though its ultimate origin is uncertain.

Ancestry of “Bravo”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1SpanishBravo—
2Italianbravogood, well-behaved; good, skilful, capable,...
3Vulgar Latinbravus—
4Latinbarbarusforeign; savage; uncivilized
5Ancient Greekβάρβαροςnon-Greek-speaking, foreign; barbaric, brutal,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbalb-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European balb- →