Where does “breef” come from?
breef (Middle English) comes from Old French brief, from Latin brevis, from Proto-Italic *breɣʷis, from Proto-Indo-European mréǵʰus, from Proto-Indo-European mreǵʰ- — short.
breef (Middle English): Alternative form of bref
Definitions
- Alternative form of bref
Ancestry of “breef”, step by step
breef traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old French brief
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | brief | brief, short in length; letter or statement |
| 2 | Latin | brevis | short, small, little, narrow; brief, short;... |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | *breɣʷis | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | mréǵʰus | short; brief |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | mreǵʰ- | short |
via Old French bref
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | bref | Alternative form of brief; letter |