Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “brest” come from?

brest (Middle English) comes from Old English brēost, from Proto-West Germanic breust, from Proto-Germanic breustą, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrews- — to break.

brest (Middle English): chest, thorax; The breast in several contexts;...

Definitions

  1. chest, thorax; The breast in several contexts;...

Ancestry of “brest”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbrēostchest
2Proto-West Germanicbreustbreast, chest
3Proto-Germanicbreustąbreast, chest
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrews-to break

Words derived from “brest”

  • breast
  • breastfeeding
  • breasted
  • breastwork
  • breastfeed
  • breasting
  • breaststroke
  • breastpin
  • breastless
  • breaststroker
  • breastband
  • nonbreastfeeding
  • breastie
  • nonbreast
  • breasty
  • breastful
  • breastlike
  • breastknot
  • breastfeeder
  • breastshot
  • unbreast
  • breastlessness
  • breastwheel
  • breasthook
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰrews- →