bruit

bruit · noun, verb¹

1. Late Latin · derived frombragere“to bray”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*h₁rewg-“to belch; to roar”
3. Latin · derived fromrugīre“to roar”
4. Late Latin · derived frombrugere
5. Old French · derived frombruit“commotion, tumult; noise, sounds; fame, renown; hearsay, rumour”
6. Anglo-Norman · derived frombrut“commotion, tumult; noise, sounds; fame, renown; hearsay, rumour; collective noun for a group of barons”
7. Middle English · inherited frombruit“commotion, tumult; fame, renown; collective noun for a group of barons”
8. English todaybruit

The noun is derived from Middle English bruit (“commotion, tumult; fame, renown; collective noun for a group of barons”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman brut (“commotion, tumult; noise, sounds; fame, renown; hearsay, rumour; collective noun for a group of barons”) and Old French bruit (“commotion, tumult; noise, sounds; fame, renown; hearsay, rumour”) (modern French bruit (“noise; report, rumour”)), a noun use of the past participle of bruire (“to make a noise; to rattle; to roar; to rustle”), from Late Latin brugere, an alteration of Latin rugīre (“to roar”) (the present active infinitive of rugiō (“to bray; to bellow, roar; to rumble”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewg- (“to belch; to roar”)), possibly influenced by Late Latin bragere (“to bray”). The English word is cognate with Catalan brogir (“to roar”); Old Occitan bruir, brugir (“to roar”). The verb is derived from the noun.

bruit · noun²

1. Old French · derived frombruit“noise; sounds”
2. French · borrowed frombruit“noise; report, rumour”
3. English todaybruit

Borrowed from French bruit (“noise; report, rumour”), from Old French bruit (“noise; sounds”); see further at etymology 1.

First known use, by meaning

• from 19th c. An abnormal sound in the body heard on auscultation (for example, through using a stethoscope); a murmur.