Where does “brain” come from?
Brain derives from Middle English brayn, from Proto-Germanic bragną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European men-, a root associated with thinking and mental processes.
brain (English): The control center of the central nervous system...
Definitions
- The control center of the central nervous system...
Ancestry of “brain”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | brayn | The brain or cerebrum; the organ of thought;... |
| 2 | Old English | bræġn | brain |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | *bragn | — |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bragną | brain |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mregʰnom | skull, brain |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |
Words derived from “brain”