Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “berstan” come from?

berstan (Old English) comes from Proto-Germanic *brestan, from Proto-Germanic brestaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰres‑ — to burst; break; crack; crackle.

berstan (Old English): to break, shatter, burst

Definitions

  1. to break, shatter, burst

Ancestry of “berstan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanic*brestan—
2Proto-Germanicbrestanąto burst, break, sunder, split, crack
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰres‑to burst; break; crack; crackle

Words derived from “berstan”

  • burst
  • blockbuster
  • buster
  • sunburst
  • starburst
  • cloudburst
  • bursty
  • burstiness
  • microburst
  • burster
  • bost
  • airburst
  • rockburst
  • sodbuster
  • interburst
  • downburst
  • trustbuster
  • bursteth
  • broncobuster
  • unburst
  • budburst
  • cloudbuster
  • ghostbuster
  • inburst
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰres‑ →