Where does “harebrained” come from?
harebrained (English) comes from English brained, 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,...
harebrained (English): Absurd, foolish or stupid; Frivolous and silly;...
Definitions
- Absurd, foolish or stupid; Frivolous and silly;...
Ancestry of “harebrained”, step by step
harebrained traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English brained
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | brained | Having a particular kind or number of brain;... |
| 2 | English | brain | The control center of the central nervous system... |
| 3 | Middle English | brayn | The brain or cerebrum; the organ of thought;... |
| 4 | Old English | bræġn | brain |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *bragn | brain |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bragną | brain |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | mregʰnom | skull, brain |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | men- | to think, mind; spiritual activity; to stay,... |
via English Hare
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Hare | OS grid ref ST2915 |
| 2 | Frankish | hariōn | to ruin, lay waste, ravage, plunder, destroy |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | harjōną | to overrun with an army; lay waste; ravage;... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kóryos | war; troops; army; war, troops |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |