Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “briar” come from?

Briar comes from Old English brēr, derived from Latin brugaria, which was borrowed from Gaulish bruco, ultimately from Proto-Celtic wroikos.

briar (English): Any of many plants with thorny stems growing in...

Definitions

  1. Any of many plants with thorny stems growing in...

Ancestry of “briar”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbrerebriar
2Old Englishbrēr—

Words derived from “briar”

  • briary
  • briarwood
  • briared
Every word from Old English brēr →