Where does “broom” come from?
broom (Middle English) comes from Old English brōm, from Proto-West Germanic *brām, from Proto-Indo-European bʰrem-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- — to bear, carry.
Ancestry of “broom”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | brōm | brushwood; broom; broom shrub |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *brām | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰrem- | to make noise |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰer- | to bear, carry |
Words derived from “broom”