< Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic

Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/brēþiz

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

Pointing to pre-Germanic *bʰrēt-, but of uncertain further origin. Most likely from the verb *brēaną (“to fume, smell, give off vapor”), attested only in Middle High German bræhen (“to smell”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreh₁-,[1] perhaps an extension of the root *bʰer- (“to seethe, toss about, cook”) (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?).

Alternatively, perhaps from *gʰwer- (“to smell, breathe”).[2]

Noun

*brēþiz m[1]

  1. (West Germanic) vapour; steam; breath
  2. (West Germanic) odour, smell

Inflection
i-stemDeclension of *brēþiz (i-stem)
singular plural
nominative *brēþiz *brēþīz
vocative *brēþi *brēþīz
accusative *brēþį *brēþinz
genitive *brēþīz *brēþijǫ̂
dative *brēþī *brēþimaz
instrumental *brēþī *brēþimiz

Descendants
  • Proto-West Germanic: *brāþi
    • Old English: brǣþ
      • Middle English: breeth, breað, braþe, breth, breith
        • English: breath
        • Scots: breth, brethe, breith

References
  1. Kroonen, Guus (2013) “*brēan-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 74–75: “*brēþi-”
  2. Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “breath”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
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