Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “borsten” come from?

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

Ancestry of “borsten”, step by step

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

Words derived from “borsten”

  • bursten
  • burstenness
  • bursten
  • ibursten
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰres‑ →