breathe etymology

Etymology:

The word "breathe" comes from the Middle English word "brethen," which is derived from the Old English word "brēðan." The Old English word is believed to be ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic root *breð-, meaning "to blow."

Meaning:

To breathe is to take air into and expel it from the lungs. It is a vital bodily function that provides oxygen to the body and removes carbon dioxide.

Origin:

The origin of the word "breathe" can be traced back to the Proto-Germanic root *breð-, which is also the root of the words "breath," "brother," and "bread." The Proto-Germanic root *breð- is thought to have originally referred to the act of blowing or breathing, and it later developed a more general sense of "to move air."

The Old English word "brēðan" originally meant "to blow" or "to breathe," and it was also used figuratively to mean "to speak" or "to say." The Middle English word "brethen" inherited the meaning of "to breathe," and it was eventually spelled as "breathe" in Modern English.

In addition to the Germanic origin of the word "breathe," there is also a possible Latin influence. The Latin word "spirāre" (to breathe) may have played a role in the development of the meaning of "breathe" in English, particularly in its figurative sense of "to speak" or "to say."

breathe relate terms

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    Etymology The word breath comes from the Old English word bræþ which is derived fr

  • breathe

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  • breathable

    Etymology Origin Latin respirabilis capable of being breathed Root respirare t

  • breathe

    Etymology The word breathe comes from the Middle English word brethen which is deri

  • breather

    Etymology The word breather has two distinct etymologies Old English breðere co

  • breathe

    Etymology The word breathe comes from the Middle English word brethen which is deri

  • rest

    Etymology The word rest originates from the Old English word restan which means to

  • suspire

    Etymology and Origin of Suspire The word suspire is derived from the Latin word susp

  • aspire

    Etymology Old French aspirer Latin aspirare ad towards spirare to breathe Me

  • expire

    Etymology From Latin expirāre to breathe out die frequentative of exspīrāre to

  • respiration

    Etymology The word respiration comes from the Latin word respirare which means to b

  • perspiration

    Etymology of Perspiration The word perspiration comes from the Latin word perspirāre

  • pneuma

    Etymology The word pneuma comes from the Greek word πνεῦμα which means breath

  • manatee

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  • yawn

    Etymology Proto Germanic gīnaną Old English gīnan Middle English yenen Modern Engl

  • subsist

    Etymology From Middle English subsisten from Latin subsistere to stand firm to exis