Where does “brownfield” come from?
Brownfield derives from English brown and field, with brown tracing to Middle English broun, Old English brūn, Proto-Germanic brūnaz, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European pel-, referring to dusky or dark coloration.
brownfield (English): A site, to be used for housing or commerce, that...
Definitions
- A site, to be used for housing or commerce, that...
Ancestry of “brownfield”, step by step
brownfield traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English field
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | field | A land area free of woodland, cities, and towns;... |
| 2 | Middle English | feeld | A field; The countryside; empty land that... |
| 3 | Old English | feld | field |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | felþu | field |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | felþuz | field, plain |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pelh₂- | to approach |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |