Where does “breastwise” come from?
breastwise (English) comes from English breast, from Middle English brest, from Old English brēost, from Proto-West Germanic breust, from Proto-Germanic breustą, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrews- — to break.
breastwise (English): abreast
Definitions
- abreast
Ancestry of “breastwise”, step by step
breastwise traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English breast
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | breast | Either of the two organs on the front of a female... |
| 2 | Middle English | brest | chest, thorax; The breast in several contexts;... |
| 3 | Old English | brēost | chest |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | breust | breast, chest |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | breustą | breast, chest |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrews- | to break |