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

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBrownAlternative letter-case form of brown
2Middle Englishbroundark, dull, murky; brown; brown-haired
3Old EnglishBrūnbrown
4Proto-Germanicbrūnazbrown
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰerH-to pierce; to strike; brown
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰerH- →