Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “brother” come from?

Brother comes from Middle English brother, from Old English brōþor, from Proto-Germanic brōþēr, from Proto-Indo-European bʰréh₂tēr, originally meaning a male sibling or kinsman.

brother (English): Son of the same parents as another person; A male...

Definitions

  1. Son of the same parents as another person; A male...

Ancestry of “brother”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishbrotherA :brother or brother-in-law; a male sibling; A ...
2Old Englishbrōþorbrother
3Proto-West Germanicbrōþerbrother
4Proto-Germanicbrōþērbrother
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰréh₂tērbrother

Words derived from “brother”

  • Bubba
  • stepbrother
  • bub
  • brotha
  • bruh
  • bubby
  • brothah
  • brothership
  • brotherlike
  • brotherman
  • bruvver
  • brothuh
  • Bubbette
  • unbrotherlike
  • half-brother
  • stepbrotherly
  • brotherji
  • bubba
  • Bubbafication
  • co-brother
  • brotherfucker
  • brotherfucking
  • womb-brother
  • bróder
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰréh₂tēr →