brædu (Old English)
Where does "brædu" come from?
The Old English noun 'brædu', meaning 'width' or 'breadth', was inherited from Proto-Germanic '*braidį̄'[1]. This earlier form was derived by adding the abstract noun suffix '*-į̄' to the adjective '*braidaz'[2], which formed the root of the word. Going further back, the ultimate source of '*braidaz' remains uncertain, though it may derive from the Proto-Indo-European root '*bʰer-', meaning 'to bear' or 'carry'[3].
Open questions
- The derivation of Proto-Germanic '*braidaz' is uncertain, with a proposed connection to Proto-Indo-European '*bʰr-oy-tos' and the root '*bʰer-' remaining speculative. [3]
Full etymology tree
- brædu (Old English), 'width, breadth'
- inherited *braidį̄ (Proto-Germanic), 'breadth'
- suffix *braidaz (Proto-Germanic), 'broad, wide'
- derived *bʰr-oy-tos (Proto-Indo-European)
- derived *bʰer- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to bear, carry'
- derived *bʰr-oy-tos (Proto-Indo-European)
- suffix *-į̄ (Proto-Germanic), '-th. Forms abstract nouns from adjectives which represent 'the state, quality or measure of' the adjective.'
- suffix *braidaz (Proto-Germanic), 'broad, wide'
- inherited *braidį̄ (Proto-Germanic), 'breadth'
Ancestors
- *braidį̄ (Proto-Germanic)
Descendants and derived words
- brede (Middle English)
- brede (Middle English)
- brede (Middle English)
- brede (Middle English)
- brede (Middle English)
- brede (Middle English)
- brede (Middle English)
- brede (Middle English)
- brede (Middle English)
- brede (Middle English)
Sources
- brædu (Old English) - Wiktionary
- braidį̄ (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
- braidaz (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
Updated October 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris