Etymology

brethren

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Today it means: kinsmen Full definition →

Middle English bretheren ← Old English brōþor
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brethren · noun, noun, adjective1

  1. Old English · derived frombrōþor
  2. Middle English · derived frombrethere
  3. Middle English · inherited frombretheren
  4. English todaybrethren

From Early Modern English brethren, plural of brother, from Middle English bretheren, from Middle English brethere, brether + -en (plural ending). Ultimately from Old English brōþor, brōþru (“brothers, brethren”), influenced by Old English brēþer, dative singular of brōþor (“brother”). Equivalent to brother + -en (plural ending). Compare German Brüder (“brothers, brethren”). More at brother. The vowel change (from o to e) is called umlaut.

Brethren · noun2

  1. German · semantic loan fromBrüder
  2. English todayBrethren

Specific use of brethren as a semantic loan from German Brüder.

Words from the same roots

Old Englishbrōþor all →

brotherBrotherton

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.