Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “brawn” come from?

Brawn comes from Middle English brawne, from Old French braon, from Frankish brādon.

brawn (English): Strong muscles or lean flesh, especially of the...

Definitions

  1. Strong muscles or lean flesh, especially of the...

Ancestry of “brawn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbrawne—
2Old Frenchbraonslice of meat, fleshy part, buttock
3Frankishbrādon—
4Frankishbrādōroasted meat, ham
5Proto-Germanicbrēdôflesh, meat; muscle
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrē-to burn, heat; seethe, toss about, cook; to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

Words derived from “brawn”

  • brawny
  • brawniness
  • brawnily
  • brawner
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- →