Where does “brain-dead” come from?
brain-dead (English) comes from English dead, from English -en, from Middle English -en, from Old English -en, from Old Norse -inn, from Proto-Norse -īna-, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iHnos — adjectival suffix.
brain-dead (English): Having an irreversible loss of brain function and...
Definitions
- Having an irreversible loss of brain function and...
Ancestry of “brain-dead”, step by step
brain-dead traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English dead
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dead | No longer living; Devoid of life; Figuratively,... |
| 2 | English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 3 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 4 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 5 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 6 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |
via English brain
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | brain | The control center of the central nervous system... |
| 2 | Middle English | brayn | The brain or cerebrum; the organ of thought;... |
| 3 | Old English | bræġn | brain |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *bragn | brain |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bragną | brain |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | mregʰnom | skull, brain |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |