Where does “housebroken” come from?
housebroken (English) comes from English Broken, from Middle English broken, from Old English brūcan, from Proto-West Germanic brūkan, from Proto-Germanic brūkaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰruHg- — to make use of; have enjoyment of.
housebroken (English): Of animals: trained to avoid urinating or...
Definitions
- Of animals: trained to avoid urinating or...
Ancestry of “housebroken”, step by step
housebroken traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Broken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Broken | Torres Strait Creole |
| 2 | Middle English | broken | to use, enjoy, digest |
| 3 | Old English | brūcan | to use, enjoy; to enjoy, brook, use, possess,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | brūkan | to use, to employ; to consume |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | brūkaną | to make use of, employ, use, consume |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰruHg- | to make use of; have enjoyment of |
via English House
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | House | A particular chamber of political representation |
| 2 | Middle English | hous | house, residence; house of worship, temple;... |
| 3 | Old English | hūs | dwelling, shelter, house; house |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hūs | house |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hūsą | house |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kewH- | to cover, bedeck; cover |