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Where does the word "brick" come from? It comes from Middle Dutch brikke, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).
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Where does the word "brick" come from? It comes from Middle Dutch brikke, passing through Old French before entering English (1400s).
Brick’s story begins in Middle Dutch: brikke meant “slab.” A Middle Dutch word, related to 'break': a broken piece. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as brique. Brick-making spread from Flanders. It reached English by 1400s as brick. 'brick' for a reliable person is 1840s slang. Today, brick means a block of baked clay for building.
- Stage 1 · Middle Dutch · medieval brikke "slab", a Middle Dutch word, related to 'break': a broken piece.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval brique "brick", brick-making spread from Flanders.
- Stage 3 · English · 1400s brick "brick", 'brick' for a reliable person is 1840s slang.