Middle English edit

Pronunciation edit

Etymology 1 edit

Borrowed from Old French braire (to cry), from Vulgar Latin *bragiāre, from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *bragyeti (to fart).

Alternative forms edit

Verb edit

brayen (third-person singular simple present brayeth, present participle brayinge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle brayed)

  1. To cry out in alarm or sorrow.
  2. (of an animal) To cry or shriek.
  3. (of the weather, rare) To howl or roar.
Conjugation edit
Descendants edit
  • English: bray
  • Middle Scots: bray
References edit

Etymology 2 edit

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman breier, possibly from Frankish *brekan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną; thus a doublet of breken.

Verb edit

brayen (third-person singular simple present brayeth, present participle brayinge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle brayed)

  1. To break up; to crush into pieces.
  2. (rare) To stomp or pound upon.
  3. (rare) To push or budge.
Conjugation edit
Descendants edit
References edit