Where does “brownout” come from?

brownout (English) comes from English out, from Middle English oute, from Old English ūt, from Proto-West Germanic *ūt, from Proto-Germanic ūt, from Proto-Indo-European úd — out, outward.

brownout (English): A period of low alternating current line voltage,...

Definitions

  1. A period of low alternating current line voltage,...

Ancestry of “brownout”, step by step

brownout traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English out

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishoutAway from the inside, centre or other point of...
2Middle Englishouteout
3Old Englishūtout
4Proto-West Germanic*ūtout, outward
5Proto-Germanicūtout, outward
6Proto-Indo-Europeanúdout, outward

via English brown

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbrownA colour like that of chocolate or coffee; One of...
2Middle Englishbroundark, dull, murky; brown; brown-haired
3Old EnglishBrūnbrown
4Proto-Germanicbrūnazbrown
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰerH-to pierce; to strike; brown
Every word from Proto-Indo-European úd →Every word from Proto-Germanic ūt →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *ūt →