Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “bran” come from?

bran (Middle English) comes from Old French bren, from Gaulish brennos, from Proto-Celtic bragnos, from Proto-Indo-European bʰreHg- — to smell, to have a strong odour.

Ancestry of “bran”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchbrenbran
2Gaulishbrennosrotten
3Proto-Celticbragnosrotten
4Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰreHg-to smell, to have a strong odour

Words derived from “bran”

  • bran
  • branny
  • branlike
  • brantail
  • branmeal
  • bran
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰreHg- →