Where does “brake” come from?
Brake comes from Middle English braken, from Old Dutch brecan, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European roots bʰreg- and bʰer- related to breaking or bending.
brake (English): A fern; bracken; A thicket, or an area overgrown...
Definitions
- A fern; bracken; A thicket, or an area overgrown...
Ancestry of “brake”, step by step
brake traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle Low German brake
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Low German | brake | stump, branch; nose ring, curb, flax brake |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | *brekan | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | brekaną | to break |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrēǵ- | to shine, shimmer |
via English bracken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bracken | Any of several coarse ferns, of the genus... |
| 2 | Middle English | braken | — |
via Old English bracu
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | bracu | — |