Etymology

bray

B3R1A1Y4

Today it means: Of an animal (now chiefly of animals related to the ass or donkey, and the camel): to make its cry. Full definition →

Middle English brayen ← Old French brai ← Vulgar Latin *bragiō
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bray · verb, noun1

  1. Old French · derived frombrai
  2. Middle English · inherited frombrai
  3. Proto-Germanic · derived from*brekaną“to break”
  4. Germanic · derived from
  5. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰreHg-“to flatulate; to stink”
  6. Proto-Celtic · derived from*brageti
  7. Gaulish · derived from*bragu
  8. Vulgar Latin · derived from*bragiō
  9. Old French · derived frombrai
  10. Middle English · inherited frombrayen
  11. English todaybray

The verb is derived from Middle English brayen, brai, bray, braye (“of a person or animal: to vocalize loudly; of the weather: to make a loud sound, howl, roar”), from Old French brai, braire (“of an animal: to bray; of a person: to cry or shout out”) (modern French braire (“of an animal: to bray; of a person: to shout; to cry, weep”)), possibly from Vulgar Latin *bragiō, from Gaulish *bragu (compare Breton breugiñ (“to bray”), brammañ (“to flatulate”), Cornish bramma, brabma (“to flatulate”), Old Irish braigid (“to flatulate”)), from Proto-Celtic *brageti, *bragyeti (“to flatulate”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreHg- (“to flatulate; to stink”); cognate with Latin fragrō (“to smell”). Alternatively, the word could be from a Germanic source, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”), and cognate with frangere (“to break, shatter”). The noun is derived from the verb, or from Middle English brai, brait (“shriek; outcry”), from Old French brai, brait (“a cry”), from braire (“of an animal: to bray; of a person: to shout; to cry, weep”); see above.

bray · verb2

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰreg-“to break”
  2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*brekaną“to break”
  3. Frankish · derived from*brekan“to break”
  4. Old French · derived frombreie
  5. Anglo-Norman · derived frombreier
  6. Middle English · inherited frombrayen“to break or crush into pieces”
  7. English todaybray

From Middle English brayen (“to break or crush into pieces”), from Anglo-Norman breier, Old French breie, breier, broiier (modern French broyer (“to crush, grind”)), possibly from Frankish *brekan (“to break”), from Proto-Germanic *brekaną (“to break”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg- (“to break”); thus making the English word a doublet of break.

Bray · proper noun3

  1. Irish · derived fromBré
  2. English todayBray

The town in Ireland is from Irish Bré, of uncertain origin.

Words from the same roots

Proto-Indo-European*bʰreHg- all →

bran

Proto-Germanic*brekaną all →

breakbrakebracken

Proto-Indo-European*bʰreg- all →

breakfractionfracturebrackenfrangibleforbreakirrefragableregmacarp

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.