English
brigadier
Brigadier comes from French brigadier ‘brigadier (military)’, from Italian brigare ‘to form a troop, fight’, and ultimately from Proto-Celtic *brīgos ‘power’.
- Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*brīgos‘power’root as named · steps between not traced
- Italianc. 1300–presentbriga‘fight, quarrel’
- Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentbrigare‘to form a troop, fight’
- Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentbrigata‘brigade’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600brigade
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentbrigadier‘brigadier (military)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1952same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*brīgos‘power’root as named · steps between not traced
- Italianc. 1300–presentbriga‘fight, quarrel’
- Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentbrigare‘to form a troop, fight’
- Italian, derivedc. 1300–presentbrigata‘brigade’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600brigade
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form
- French, derivedc. 1600–presentbrigadier‘brigadier (military)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1952same form
Earliest quotation: 1952, The Soviet Bloc as Reported by Former Na: “The supervisory staff of the farm did their work…”
Formed from brigade + -ier
Italian briga ‘trouble, bother’
Italian brigare ‘to connive, to strive to obtain by…’
Italian brigata
Middle French brigade
French brigade
English brigade
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷreh₂- ‘heavy’
bar, grave, gravity, brutal, guru, grief, brute, grieve, gravitate, grievous, grievance, aggravate, aggravation, gravitation, gravitas, brut, baryon, barite, 18 more
through Proto-Celtic *brīgos ‘power’
Today it means
noun An army rank; an officer commanding a brigade.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Celtic *brīgos / brigadier