Where does “Brown” come from?
Brown (French) comes from English Brown, from Middle English broun, from Old English Brūn, from Proto-Germanic brūnaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰerH- — to pierce; to strike; brown.
Ancestry of “Brown”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Brown | Alternative letter-case form of brown |
| 2 | Middle English | broun | dark, dull, murky; brown; brown-haired |
| 3 | Old English | Brūn | brown |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | brūnaz | brown |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰerH- | to pierce; to strike; brown |