Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/brēþiz

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Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/brēþiz

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Etymology

Pointing to pre-Germanic *bʰrēt-, but of uncertain further origin. Most likely from the verb *brēaną (“to fume, smell, give off vapor”), attested only in Middle High German bræhen (“to smell”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreh₁-,[1] perhaps an extension of the root *bʰer- (“to seethe, toss about, cook”) (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?).

Alternatively, perhaps from *gʰwer- (“to smell, breathe”).[2]

Noun

*brēþiz m[1]

1. (West Germanic) vapour; steam; breath
2. (West Germanic) odour, smell

Inflection

i-stemDeclension of *brēþiz (i-stem)
	singular	plural
nominative	*brēþiz	*brēþīz
vocative	*brēþi	*brēþīz
accusative	*brēþį	*brēþinz
genitive	*brēþīz	*brēþijǫ̂
dative	*brēþī	*brēþimaz
instrumental	*brēþī	*brēþimiz

Related terms

• *brēþaz

Descendants

• Proto-West Germanic: *brāþi
  • Old English: brǣþ
    • Middle English: breeth, breað, braþe, breth, breith
      • English: breath
      • Scots: breth, brethe, breith
• Suevic:
  • →⇒ Galician: brétema (“fog, mist”)

References

1. Kroonen, Guus (2013), “*brēan-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 74–75: “*brēþi-”
2. Douglas Harper (2001–2023), “breath”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.