Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bracing” come from?

Bracing derives from Middle English brace, from Old French bracier, from Latin bracchia meaning "arms," ultimately from Ancient Greek βραχίων denoting the upper arm or forearm.

bracing (English): present participle of brace; Invigorating or...

Definitions

  1. present participle of brace; Invigorating or...

Ancestry of “bracing”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbraceArmor for the arm; vambrace; A measurement of...
2Middle EnglishbraceVambrace; armour which protects the arm; A cord...
3Old Frenchbracearm
4Latinbracchianominative plural of bracchium; accusative plural...
5Latinbracchiumforearm; arm; limb of an animal
6Ancient Greekβραχίωνthe arm, the shoulder; comparative degree of...
7Ancient Greekβραχύςshort, brief; short, small, little; few
8Proto-Indo-Europeanmréǵʰusshort; brief
9Proto-Indo-Europeanmreǵʰ-short

Words derived from “bracing”

  • bracingly
  • crossbracing
  • bracingness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mreǵʰ- →