Where does “breakdance” come from?

breakdance (English) comes from English break, from Middle English breken, from Old English brecan, from Proto-West Germanic brekan, from Proto-Germanic brekaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrēǵ- — to shine, shimmer.

breakdance (English): The art, or an instance, of breakdancing; To...

Definitions

  1. The art, or an instance, of breakdancing; To...

Ancestry of “breakdance”, step by step

breakdance traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English break

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbreakTo separate into two or more pieces, to fracture...
2Middle Englishbrekento break
3Old Englishbrecanto break; to break into a place
4Proto-West Germanicbrekanto break
5Proto-Germanicbrekanąto break
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrēǵ-to shine, shimmer

via English dance

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdanceA sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually...
2Middle EnglishdauncenTo dance, be in a dance; To move about in a rapid...
3Anglo-Normandauncer—

Words derived from “breakdance”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰrēǵ- →
breakdance — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer