Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “brother” come from?

brother (Middle English) comes from Old English brōþor, from Proto-West Germanic brōþer, from Proto-Germanic brōþēr, from Proto-Indo-European bʰréh₂tēr — brother.

brother (Middle English): A :brother or brother-in-law; a male sibling; A ...

Definitions

  1. A :brother or brother-in-law; a male sibling; A ...

Ancestry of “brother”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbrōþorbrother
2Proto-West Germanicbrōþerbrother
3Proto-Germanicbrōþērbrother
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰréh₂tērbrother

Words derived from “brother”

  • brother
  • brethren
  • Bubba
  • stepbrother
  • bub
  • brotha
  • bruh
  • bubby
  • brothah
  • brothership
  • brotherlike
  • brotherman
  • bruvver
  • brothuh
  • Bubbette
  • unbrotherlike
  • bredrin
  • co-brother-in-law
  • brother-in-law
  • half-brother
  • -ren
  • stepbrotherly
  • kidren
  • brotherji
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰréh₂tēr →