| 1 | Old French | brisier | to break , bust; to break to pieces by a shock or... |
| 2 | Frankish | bristan | to break to pieces, split, shatter; to break,... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | brestaną | to burst, break, sunder, split, crack |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰres‑ | to burst; break; crack; crackle |