English word origin

Etymology of brook

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 ↗

verb

To bear; endure; put up with; tolerate. · To enjoy the use of; make use of; profit by; to use, enjoy, possess, or hold. · To earn; deserve.

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

From Middle English brouken (“to use, enjoy”), from Old English brūcan (“to enjoy, brook, use, possess, partake of, spend”), from Proto-West Germanic *brūkan, from Proto-Germanic *brūkaną (“to enjoy, use”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰruHg- (“to enjoy”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian bruke (“to need”), Dutch bruiken (“to use”), German Low German bruken (“to need”), German brauchen (“to need”), Swedish bruka (“to use”), Icelandic brúka (“to use”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Root classification mention*bʰrewHg-ine-pro
Inherited-form mentionbroukenenm · to use, enjoy
Inherited-form mentionbrūcanang · to enjoy, brook, use, possess, partake of, spend
Inherited-form mention*brūkangmw-pro
Inherited-form mention*brūkanągem-pro · to enjoy, use
Derivation mention*bʰruHg-ine-pro · to enjoy
Cognate mentionbrukestq · to need
Cognate mentionbruikennl · to use
Cognate mentionbrauchende · to need
Cognate mentionbrukasv · to use
Cognate mentionbrúkais · to use

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "use"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰrewHg-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "brouken",
        "t": "to use, enjoy"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English brouken (“to use, enjoy”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "brūcan",
        "t": "to enjoy, brook, use, possess, partake of, spend"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English brūcan (“to enjoy, brook, use, possess, partake of, spend”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*brūkan"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *brūkan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*brūkaną",
        "t": "to enjoy, use"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *brūkaną (“to enjoy, use”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰruHg-",
        "t": "to enjoy"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *bʰruHg- (“to enjoy”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "stq",
        "2": "bruke",
        "t": "to need"
      },
      "expansion": "Saterland Frisian bruke (“to need”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "bruiken",
        "t": "to use"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch bruiken (“to use”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "bruken",
        "t": "to need"
      },
      "expansion": "German Low German bruken (“to need”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "brauchen",
        "t": "to need"
      },
      "expansion": "German brauchen (“to need”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "bruka",
        "t": "to use"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish bruka (“to use”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "brúka",
        "t": "to use"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic brúka (“to use”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "brouken",
      "brouken#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "brūcan",
      "brucan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*brūkan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/brūkan"
    ],
    [
      "*brūkaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/brūkaną"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰruHg-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰruHg-"
    ],
    [
      "bruke",
      "bruke#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "bruiken",
      "bruiken#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "bruken",
      "bruken#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "brauchen",
      "brauchen#German"
    ],
    [
      "bruka",
      "bruka#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "brúka",
      "brúka#Icelandic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To bear; endure; put up with; tolerate.",
        "To enjoy the use of; make use of; profit by; to use, enjoy, possess, or hold.",
        "To earn; deserve."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "formal",
        "transitive",
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "5433abb841987729e2779e3df7e001a3b96df6b84e895a9cf3ab1ffa6d5ce7f5",
      "rawRecordSha256": "cf39ba7e37d650c47f7379315a28ed620262149e25d5201e3a335fe0e6b84beb",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A body of running water smaller than a river; a small stream. · A water meadow, or (in the plural) low, marshy ground.

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

From Middle English brook, from Old English brōc (“brook; stream; torrent”), from Proto-West Germanic *brōk (“stream”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentionbrookenm
Inherited-form mentionbrōcang · brook; stream; torrent
Inherited-form mention*brōkgmw-pro · stream

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "water"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "brook"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English brook"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "brōc",
        "t": "brook; stream; torrent"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English brōc (“brook; stream; torrent”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*brōk",
        "t": "stream"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *brōk (“stream”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "brook",
      "brook#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "brōc",
      "broc#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*brōk",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/brōk"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A body of running water smaller than a river; a small stream.",
        "A water meadow, or (in the plural) low, marshy ground."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Northeastern",
        "US",
        "transitive",
        "Kent"
      ],
      "recordId": "63962b037d32f8aaca6dca53d1be303a09dee7dd20fb09ec73d1794b52cb8f2b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "d3683fc578f13d802621b6b6d8fe3484f9981c7dd239a2239b030a124a1f3494",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 146267
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  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

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 brook →

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-YnJvb2s