Etymology

brandish

B3R1A1N1D2I1S1H4

Today it means: To move or swing a weapon back and forth, particularly if demonstrating anger, threat or skill. Full definition →

Middle English braundischen ← Old French brandiss- ← Frankish *brandijan
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The story

  1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*brandaz“fire; flame; sword”
  2. Frankish · derived from*brand“firebrand; sword”
  3. Frankish · derived from*brandijan
  4. Old French · derived frombrandiss-
  5. Middle English · inherited frombraundischen
  6. English todaybrandish

From Middle English braundischen, from Old French brandiss-, stem of brandir (“to flourish a sword”), from Frankish *brandijan, from Frankish *brand (“firebrand; sword”), from Proto-Germanic *brandaz (“fire; flame; sword”), whence Old English brand (“firebrand; torch”); equivalent to brand + -ish. More at brand.

Words from the same roots

Proto-Germanic*brandaz all →

brandbrant

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.