Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “brainteasing” come from?

brainteasing (English) comes 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,...

brainteasing (English): Puzzling; mentally challenging

Definitions

  1. Puzzling; mentally challenging

Ancestry of “brainteasing”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbrainThe control center of the central nervous system...
2Middle EnglishbraynThe brain or cerebrum; the organ of thought;...
3Old Englishbræġnbrain
4Proto-West Germanic*bragn—
5Proto-Germanicbragnąbrain
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmregʰnomskull, brain
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmen-to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European men- →