Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “crackbrain” come from?

crackbrain (English) comes from English brain, from Middle English brayn, from Old English bræġn, from Proto-West Germanic *bragn, from Proto-Germanic bragną, from Proto-Indo-European mregʰnom, from Proto-Indo-European men- — to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...

crackbrain (English): An eccentric or crazy person

Definitions

  1. An eccentric or crazy person

Ancestry of “crackbrain”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbrainThe control center of the central nervous system...
2Middle EnglishbraynThe brain or cerebrum; the organ of thought;...
3Old Englishbræġnbrain
4Proto-West Germanic*bragn—
5Proto-Germanicbragnąbrain
6Proto-Indo-Europeanmregʰnomskull, brain
7Proto-Indo-Europeanmen-to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European men- →