Where does “embroil” come from?

Embroil comes from French embrouiller, formed with the prefix en- from Old French en-, derived from Latin in-, which traces to the Proto-Indo-European particle ne and h₁én.

embroil (English): To draw into a situation; to cause to be...

Definitions

  1. To draw into a situation; to cause to be...

Ancestry of “embroil”, step by step

embroil traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via French embrouiller

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchembrouillerto entangle; to bamboozle, to confuse
2Frenchbrouillerto blur; to mix up, confuse; to scramble
3Middle Frenchbrouiller—
4Old Frenchbrouiller—
5Vulgar Latinbrodiculareto jumble together
6Latinbrodumbroth, stew
7Frankishbroþbroth
8Proto-Germanicbruþąbroth
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrewh₁-to boil; to brew
10Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰer-to bear, carry

via English broil

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbroilTo cook by direct, radiant heat; To expose to...
2Middle Englishbroilento quarrel, present in disorder
3Anglo-Normanbroillerto mix up; to broil, roast

Words derived from “embroil”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰrewh₁- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bruþą →