Where does “birdbrained” come from?
birdbrained (English) comes from English brained, from English brain, from Middle English brayn, from Old English bræġn, from Proto-West Germanic *bragn, from Proto-Germanic bragną, from Proto-Indo-European mregʰnom, from Proto-Indo-European men- — to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...
birdbrained (English): Silly and frivolous; empty-headed
Definitions
- Silly and frivolous; empty-headed
Ancestry of “birdbrained”, step by step
birdbrained traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English brained
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | brained | Having a particular kind or number of brain;... |
| 2 | English | brain | The control center of the central nervous system... |
| 3 | Middle English | brayn | The brain or cerebrum; the organ of thought;... |
| 4 | Old English | bræġn | brain |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *bragn | brain |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bragną | brain |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mregʰnom | skull, brain |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |