Etymograph

English

breve

Breve comes from Latin brevis ‘short’.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbrevis‘short’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400brieve
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500breve
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1818same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbrevis‘short’
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400brieve
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500breve
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1818same form

Earliest quotation: 1818, Jedediah Cleishbotham pseudonym; Walter , I. Being Introductory.: “But what, are you puzzling in your pockets to…”

Linked words

through Latin brevis ‘short’

brief, brevity, abbreviate, breviary, 12 more

through Old French brieve

briefly, 1 more

Another origin of breve

  1. Italianc. 1300–presentbreve
  2. Englishtodaysame form

Today it means

noun A semicircular diacritical mark (˘) placed above a vowel, commonly used to mark its quantity as short.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Latin brevis / breve

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