Where does “brainwave” come from?
brainwave (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,...
brainwave (English): Any of many rhythmic fluctuations of electric...
Definitions
- Any of many rhythmic fluctuations of electric...
Ancestry of “brainwave”, step by step
brainwave traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
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,... |
via English wave
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wave | To move back and forth repeatedly and somewhat... |
| 2 | Middle English | wawe | A wave; Any sort of flowing or spurting motion;... |
| 3 | Old English | wǣġ | a weight; a tool for weighing, balance, scale |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | wēgaz | wave; sea |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | weǵʰ- | to bring; to transport |