Etymology

brain

B3R1A1I1N1

Today it means: 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. Full definition →

Middle English brayn ← Old English bræġn ← Proto-West Germanic *bragn
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brain · noun, verb1

  1. Proto-Indo-European*mregʰ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*mrógʰ-n̥ ~ *mrégʰ-n̥-s
  3. Proto-Germanic*bragną
  4. Proto-West Germanic*bragn
  5. Old Englishbræġn
  6. Middle Englishbrayn
  7. English todaybrain

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”).

Brain · proper noun2

From the Irish and Scottish Gaelic surname, from mac an Bhreitheamhan (“son of the judge”), from breitheamh (“judge”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.