English word origin

Etymology of brash

Uncertain. Perhaps from Scots brash, brasch (“a violent onset; an attack or assault”). Perhaps also related to Dutch bars (“stern; strict”), German barsch (“harsh; unfriendly”), Danish barsk (“harsh; rough; tough”), Swed

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

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.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

adj

Overly bold or self-assertive to the point of being insensitive, tactless or impudent; shameless. · Overly bold, impetuous or rash. · Bold, bright or showy, often in a tasteless way.

noun

A rash or eruption; a sudden or transient fit of sickness. · A sudden burst of rain. · An attack or assault.

verb

To disturb.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentionbrashsco
Cognate mentionbarsnl · stern; strict
Cognate mentionbarschde · harsh; unfriendly
Cognate mentionbarskda · harsh; rough; tough
Cognate mentionbarsksv · harsh; impetuous

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "3": "brash"
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      },
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    },
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        "2": "barsk",
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    }
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

adj

Brittle (said e.g. of wood or vegetables).

noun

Leaf litter of small leaves and little twigs as found under a hedge. · Broken and angular rock fragments underlying alluvial deposits. · Broken fragments of ice.

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

Compare American English bresk, brusk (“fragile, brittle”).

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for brash →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-YnJhc2g