browse

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰrews-“to swell, sprout”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*brustiz“bud, shoot”
3. Frankish · derived from*brust“shoot, bud”
4. Germanic · derived from
5. Old French · derived frombrouster
6. Middle English · inherited frombrowsen
7. English todaybrowse

From Middle English browsen, from Old French brouster, broster (“to nibble off buds, sprouts, and bark; browse”), from brost (“a sprout, shoot, bud”), from a Germanic source, perhaps Frankish *brust (“shoot, bud”), from Proto-Germanic *brustiz (“bud, shoot”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrews- (“to swell, sprout”). Cognate with Bavarian Bross, Brosst (“a bud”), Old Saxon brustian (“to sprout”). Doublet of brut, breast, and brush.

Words from the same roots