Where does “browsing” come from?
Browsing derives from Middle English browsen, from Old French brouster, from Old French brost, from Frankish brust, from Proto-Germanic brusts, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrews-.
browsing (English): present participle of browse; A place abounding...
Definitions
- present participle of browse; A place abounding...
Ancestry of “browsing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | browse | To scan, to casually look through in order to... |
| 2 | Middle English | browsen | — |
| 3 | Old French | brouster | — |
| 4 | Old French | brost | sprout; a sprout, shoot, bud |
| 5 | Middle High German | brobest | — |
| 6 | Old High German | provost | — |
| 7 | Old French | provost | — |
| 8 | Latin | prōpositus | set forth |
| 9 | Latin | praepositus | placed in front; placed in command; One placed in... |
| 10 | Latin | praepōnō | to place or set over as chief, commander, or superintendent; to place at the head of or entrust with the charge or command of; to appoint or depute as |
| 11 | Latin | prae- | before; in front; in charge |
| 12 | Proto-Italic | prai- | pre-, before |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | preh₂- | before, in front |
| 14 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 15 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |