Where does “bruiser” come from?
bruiser (English) comes from English bruise, from Middle English bruisen, from Old English brȳsan, from Proto-Germanic brausijaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrews- — to break.
bruiser (English): In contact sports, an athlete whose size,...
Definitions
- In contact sports, an athlete whose size,...
Ancestry of “bruiser”, step by step
bruiser traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bruise
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bruise | To strike (a person), originally with something flat or heavy, but now specifically in such a way as to discolour the skin without breaking it; to contuse |
| 2 | Middle English | bruisen | — |
| 3 | Old English | brȳsan | to break |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | brausijaną | to break; crush |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrews- | to break |