Where does “brethen” come from?

brethen (Middle English) comes from Middle English breth, from Old English brǣþ, from Proto-Germanic brēþiz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrē-t-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- — to bear, carry.

brethen (Middle English): to breathe, blow, exhale, odour

Definitions

  1. to breathe, blow, exhale, odour

Ancestry of “brethen”, step by step

brethen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English breth

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbrethbreath
2Old Englishbrǣþodor, scent, stink, exhalation, vapor
3Proto-Germanicbrēþizvapour; steam; breath; odour, smell
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰrē-t-exhalation from heat; steam
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰer-to bear, carry

via Old English breoþan

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbreoþanto decay, waste away
2Proto-Germanicbreuþanąto fall apart; crumble

Words derived from “brethen”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰrē-t- →Every word from Proto-Germanic brēþiz →