Etymology of brain

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

noun

The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull, consisting of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem, which is responsible for perception, cognition, attention, memory, emotion, and action. · A part of the brain, especially associated with particular mental functions, abilities, etc. · skull; head · Mind.

verb

To dash out the brains of; to kill by smashing the skull. · To strike (someone) on the head. · To destroy; to put an end to. · To conceive in the mind; to understand.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *mregʰ- Proto-Indo-European *-n̥ Proto-Indo-European *mrógʰ-n̥ ~ *mrégʰ-n̥-s Proto-Germanic *bragną Proto-West Germanic *bragn Old English bræġn Middle English brayn English brain Inherited from Middle English brayn, from Old English bræġn, from Proto-West Germanic *bragn, from Proto-Germanic *bragną, from Proto-Indo-European *mrógʰ-n̥ ~ *mrégʰ-n̥-s, from *mregʰ- + *-n̥. Cognate with Scots braine, brane (“brain”), North Frisian brayen, brein, Brain (“brain”), Saterland Frisian Brainge, Bräienge (“brain”), West Frisian brein (“brain”), Dutch brein (“brain”), Low German Brägen, Bregen (“brain”) (whence German Bregen (“animal brain”)), Ancient Greek βρεχμός (brekhmós, “front part of the skull, top of the head”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Cognate mentionbrainesco
Cognate mentionbrayenfrr
Cognate mentionBraingestq
Cognate mentionbreinfy · brain
Cognate mentionbreinnl · brain
Cognate mentionBrägennds
Cognate mentionBregende · animal brain
Cognate mentionβρεχμόςgrc · front part of the skull, top of the head

This page abbreviates 8 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "enm:brayn",
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      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *mregʰ-\nProto-Indo-European *-n̥\nProto-Indo-European *mrógʰ-n̥ ~ *mrégʰ-n̥-s\nProto-Germanic *bragną\nProto-West Germanic *bragn\nOld English bræġn\nMiddle English brayn\nEnglish brain\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bragną\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bragn\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"bræġn\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"brayn\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"brain\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"brain\">\nInherited from Middle English brayn, from Old English bræġn, from Proto-West Germanic *bragn, from Proto-Germanic *bragną, from Proto-Indo-European *mrógʰ-n̥ ~ *mrégʰ-n̥-s, from *mregʰ- + *-n̥."
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        "2": "Brainge"
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        "1": "de",
        "2": "Bregen",
        "t": "animal brain"
      },
      "expansion": "German Bregen (“animal brain”)"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
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        "2": "βρεχμός",
        "t": "front part of the skull, top of the head"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek βρεχμός (brekhmós, “front part of the skull, top of the head”)"
    },
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      "name": "ety",
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-n̥"
    ],
    [
      "*bragną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bragną"
    ],
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      "*bragn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/bragn"
    ],
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      "bræġn",
      "brægn#Old_English"
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      "brayn",
      "brayn#Middle_English"
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      "brayn",
      "brayn#Middle_English"
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-n̥"
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      "braine",
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      "brane",
      "brane#Scots"
    ],
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      "brayen",
      "brayen#North_Frisian"
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      "brein",
      "brein#North_Frisian"
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      "Brain",
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    ],
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      "Brainge",
      "Brainge#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
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      "Bräienge",
      "Bräienge#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
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      "brein",
      "brein#West_Frisian"
    ],
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      "brein",
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      "Brägen",
      "Brägen#Low_German"
    ],
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      "Bregen",
      "Bregen#Low_German"
    ],
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      "Bregen",
      "Bregen#German"
    ],
    [
      "βρεχμός",
      "βρεχμός#Ancient_Greek"
    ]
  ],
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      "pos": "noun",
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        "The control center of the central nervous system of an animal located in the skull, consisting of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem, which is responsible for perception, cognition, attention, memory, emotion, and action.",
        "A part of the brain, especially associated with particular mental functions, abilities, etc.",
        "skull; head",
        "Mind."
      ],
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        "To conceive in the mind; to understand."
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The source etymologies

Unnumbered source etymology

Relationships mentioned by the source

Where this record stops

Source and snapshot