embroil

embroil · verb, noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰrewh₁-“to boil; to brew”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*bruþą“stock, broth”
3. Frankish · derived from*broþ“broth”
4. Late Latin · derived frombrodium“broth, stew; mixture”
5. Vulgar Latin · derived from*brodiculāre
6. French · borrowed fromembrouiller“to entangle”
7. English todayembroil

PIE word *h₁én The verb is borrowed from French embrouiller (“to entangle”), from em- (a variant of en- (prefix meaning ‘in; into’)) + brouiller (“to confuse, mix up”) (ultimately from Vulgar Latin *brodiculāre, from *brodicāre, from Late Latin brodium (“broth, stew; mixture”), from Frankish *broþ (“broth”), from Proto-Germanic *bruþą (“stock, broth”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to boil; to brew”)). The noun is derived from the verb. Cognates * Italian imbrogliare * Spanish embrollar

embroil · verb²

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰerw-, *bʰrew-“to boil; to brew”
2. Old French · derived frombruler
3. Middle English · inherited frombroilen
4. English todayembroil

From em- (a variant of en- (intensifying prefix)) + broil (“to expose to great heat; (obsolete) to burn”) (from Late Middle English broilen, brulen (“to burn; to scorch, singe; (cooking) to broil, grill”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Old French bruler, bruillir, brusler (“to burn”) (modern French brûler), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerw-, *bʰrew- (“to boil; to brew”)).

Words from the same roots