Where does “braid” come from?

Braid comes from Middle English breden, from Old English breġdan, from Proto-Germanic braidijaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰreh₁- and bʰrēḱ-.

braid (English): To make a sudden movement with, to jerk; To start...

Definitions

  1. To make a sudden movement with, to jerk; To start...

Ancestry of “braid”, step by step

braid traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English braiden

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishbraidenAlternative form of breiden
2Old Englishbreġdanto braid; to move quickly, pull, shake, swing,...
3Proto-West Germanicbregdanto move back and forth; to brandish, to draw; to...
4Proto-Germanicbregdanąto flicker, flutter, jerk, tug (on), twitch, flinch, move, swing
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrēḱ-

via Middle English breiden

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishbreidenTo drag; to pull away and take with oneself; To...

via Middle English bræiden

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishbræidenAlternative form of breiden
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰrēḱ-Every word from Proto-Germanic bregdanąEvery word from Proto-West Germanic bregdan