Where does “brat” come from?

brat (Welsh) comes from Middle Welsh brat, from Proto-Brythonic brad, from Proto-Celtic mratom, from Proto-Indo-European merh₂- — to seize, grip; to pack.

brat (Welsh): rag

Definitions

  1. rag

Ancestry of “brat”, step by step

brat traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle Welsh brat

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Welshbrat—
2Proto-Brythonicbraddeceit, treachery
3Proto-Celticmratomdeceit, betrayal, treachery
4Proto-Indo-Europeanmerh₂-to seize, grip; to pack

via Middle English brat

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbrata coarse cloak
2Old Englishbrattcloak
3Old Irishbrattcloak; cloth
4Proto-Celticbrattoscloak, mantle

Words derived from “brat”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European merh₂- →Every word from Proto-Celtic mratom →Every word from Proto-Brythonic brad →