breeches

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰreg-
2. Proto-Germanic*brōks
3. Proto-West Germanic*brōk
4. Old Englishbrōc
5. Old Englishbrēċ
6. Middle Englishbrek
7. Middle Englishbreches
8. English todaybreeches

From Middle English breches, brechen pl, a variant of Middle English breche, brech, brek (“breeches”), from Old English brēċ (“underpants”), the plural of brōc (“legging, buttocks”), from Proto-West Germanic *brōk, from Proto-Germanic *brōks (“crotch, legging, trousers”). Akin to West Frisian broek (“leggings, over-trousers”), Dutch broek (“pair of trousers, underpants, long-johns”), obsolete German Bruch (“pair of hose, leggings, pants trousers”), Old Norse brók (“breeches”) (whence Danish brog); compare Latin brācae ( > French braies, Spanish bragas) which is immediately of Celtic origin, yet ultimately borrowed from the same Proto-Germanic source above. Compare brail.

Words from the same roots