Etymograph

English

brush

Brush comes from Middle English brusshe, and goes back to Frankish *bursti.

  1. Frankishc. 250–700*burstireconstructed
  2. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*brustiareconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400broisse
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500brusshe
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1600brush

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Frankishc. 250–700*burstireconstructed
  2. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*brustiareconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400broisse
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500brusshe
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1600brush

Earliest quotation: 1600, Torquato Tasso, (please specify |book=1 to 20): “Some spread their sails, some with strong oars sweep…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *bʰers- ‘top, tip, point’

far, beard, prod, braid, borscht, farro, fash, 16 more

through Proto-Germanic *burstiz ‘bristle’

bristle, 1 more

Today it means

noun An implement consisting of multiple more or less flexible bristles or other filaments attached to a handle, used for any of various purposes including cleaning, painting, and arranging hair.

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

Etymograph / Frankish *bursti / brush

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