brute

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gʷréh₂us“heavy”
2. Latin · derived frombrūtus“dull, stupid, insensible”
3. Old French · derived frombrut
4. Middle French · derived frombrut
5. English todaybrute

From Middle French brut, from Old French brut, from Latin brūtus (“dull, stupid, insensible”), an Oscan loanword, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷréh₂us (“heavy”). Cognate with Ancient Greek βαρύς (barús), Persian گران (gerân) and Sanskrit गुरु (gurú) (English guru).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 15th c. Without reason or intelligence (of animals).
• from 16th c. Characteristic of unthinking animals; senseless, unreasoning (of humans).
• from 16th c. Unconnected with intelligence or thought; purely material, senseless.
• from 17th c. Crude, unpolished.
• from 17th c. An animal seen as being without human reason; a senseless beast.
• from 17th c. A person with the characteristics of an unthinking animal; a coarse or brutal person, particularly one who is dim-witted.