Where does “brandish” come from?
Brandish comes from Middle English braundishen, from Old French brandiss-, a verb stem of uncertain ultimate origin and meaning.
brandish (English): To move or swing a weapon back and forth,...
Definitions
- To move or swing a weapon back and forth,...
Ancestry of “brandish”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | braundischen | To brandish a weapon |
| 2 | Old French | brandir | to brandish |
| 3 | Latin | brandus | fire, firebrand; flaming sword, sword |
| 4 | Frankish | brand | sword; burnt log; brand; cinder; firebrand,... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | brandaz | fire; flash; flame; burning; flaming; firebrand;... |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | brinnaną | to burn, to be on fire |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrewh₁- | to boil; to brew |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |