Where does “brass” come from?
Brass comes from Middle English bras, from Old French bracier, from Latin bracchia meaning "arms," derived from Ancient Greek βραχίων meaning "arm."
brass (English): A metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many...
Definitions
- A metallic alloy of copper and zinc used in many...
Ancestry of “brass”, step by step
brass traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Spanish braza
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | braza | breaststroke; fathom About 1.67 metres. Twice a... |
| 2 | Old Spanish | braça | — |
| 3 | Latin | brachia | nominative plural of brachium; accusative plural... |
| 4 | Latin | bracchium | forearm; arm; limb of an animal |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | βραχίων | the arm, the shoulder; comparative degree of... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | βραχύς | short, brief; short, small, little; few |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mréǵʰus | short; brief |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | mreǵʰ- | short |