Where does “goldbrick” come from?

goldbrick (English) comes from English Brick, from English Bridge, from Middle English brigge, from Old Norse bryggja, from Proto-Germanic brewwaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrewh₁-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- — to bear, carry.

goldbrick (English): Something fraudulent or nonexistent offered for...

Definitions

  1. Something fraudulent or nonexistent offered for...

Ancestry of “goldbrick”, step by step

goldbrick traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Brick

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBricknamed after Joseph Brick
2EnglishBridgeOS grid ref TR1854. Recorded as Brige in 1086 (DB), from
3Middle EnglishbriggeA bridge
4Old Norsebryggjapier, gangway
5Proto-Germanicbrewwanąto brew
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrewh₁-to boil; to brew
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰer-to bear, carry

via English Gold

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishGoldfor a goldsmith or a rich man
2Middle Englishgoldgold metal
3Old Englishgoldgold
4Proto-Germanicgulþągold
5Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰl̥tómgold
6Proto-Indo-Europeanǵʰelh₃-to flourish; green, yellow

Words derived from “goldbrick

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰer-