brumous

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*mréǵʰus“brief, short”
2. Latin · derived frombrūma“winter solstice; winter; winter cold”
3. Late Latin · derived frombrūmōsus“wintry”
4. French · derived frombrumeux“foggy, hazy, misty”
5. English todaybrumous

From brume + -ous, probably modelled after French brumeux (“foggy, hazy, misty”), from Late Latin brūmōsus (“wintry”), from Latin brūma (“winter solstice; winter; winter cold”) + -ōsus (suffix forming adjectives from nouns). Brūma is derived from brevima, brevissima (“shortest”), the superlative of brevis (“brief; short”) (the winter solstice being the shortest day of the year), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus (“brief, short”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from mid 19th c. Foggy or misty; wintry.