bread

Where does the word "bread" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic brauþą, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

Bread’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: brauþą meant “bread.” Probably from a root meaning to brew or leaven, like 'brew'. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as brēad. First meant a piece or morsel; the usual word for bread was 'hlāf', loaf. It reached English by 1500s as bread. 'breadwinner' dates from the 1810s. Today, bread means food made of baked flour, water and yeast.

1. Stage 1 · Proto-Germanic · ancient brauþą "bread", probably from a root meaning to brew or leaven, like 'brew'.
2. Stage 2 · Old English · 700s-1000s brēad "morsel, bread", first meant a piece or morsel; the usual word for bread was 'hlāf', loaf.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s bread "bread", 'breadwinner' dates from the 1810s.