Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Drag to rotate
Tracing “”…
Where does the word "brief" come from? It comes from Latin brevis, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
Read the full story
Where does the word "brief" come from? It comes from Latin brevis, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).
Brief’s story begins in Latin: brevis meant “short.” The root of 'abbreviate' and 'brevity'. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as brief. Also a short letter or legal summary. It reached English by 1300s as brief. A lawyer's 'brief' dates from the 1600s. Today, brief means lasting a short time.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient brevis "short", the root of 'abbreviate' and 'brevity'.
- Stage 2 · Old French · medieval brief "short", also a short letter or legal summary.
- Stage 3 · English · 1300s brief "short", a lawyer's 'brief' dates from the 1600s.