Where does “brainy” come from?
Brainy derives from Middle English -y, Middle French -ie, Latin -ia, Latin -ivus, Latin -ia, and Proto-Indo-European -kos, ultimately tracing to a suffix formation in Proto-Indo-European.
brainy (English): Very intellectually capable
Definitions
- Very intellectually capable
Ancestry of “brainy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | brayny | Relating to the brain |
| 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,... |