Where does “branne” come from?
branne (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 “branne”, step by step
branne traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French bren
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | bren | bran |
| 2 | Gaulish | brennos | rotten |
| 3 | Proto-Celtic | bragnos | rotten |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰreHg- | to smell, to have a strong odour |
via Old French bran
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | bran | Alternative form of branc; bran, filth |