| 1 | English | breathe | To draw air into , and expel air from , the lungs... |
| 2 | Middle English | brethen | to breathe, blow, exhale, odour |
| 3 | Middle English | breth | breath |
| 4 | Old English | brǣþ | odor, scent, stink, exhalation, vapor |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | brēþiz | vapour; steam; breath; odour, smell |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrē-t- | exhalation from heat; steam |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |