bresten

Middle English

Alternative forms

• bersten, birsten, braste, breste, brestyn, brist, briste, bruste, bursten, buste

Etymology

From Old English berstan, from Proto-West Germanic *brestan, from Proto-Germanic *brestaną; many forms are influenced by Old Norse bresta.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛrstən/, /ˈbarstən/, /ˈburstən/
• (metathetic) IPA^(key): /ˈbrɛstən/, /ˈbristən/

Verb

bresten

1. To burst (break from internal pressure):
   1. To issue, rush or flow out.
   2. To change state suddenly.
2. To break, shatter (become broken):
   1. To break, smash (cause to break)
   2. To defeat or vanquish; to shatter (an enemy)
3. To be intensely afflicted with a feeling.
4. To hurt or attack; to beat up.

Usage notes

• The conjugation of this verb is very variable; the forms shown are only a representative selection.

Conjugation

Conjugation of bresten (strong class 3)

infinitive	(to) bresten, breste
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	breste	brast, brost
2nd-person singular	brestest	broste, braste, brast, brost
3rd-person singular	bresteth	brast, brost
subjunctive singular	breste	broste1, braste1
imperative singular		—
plural2	bresten, breste	brosten, broste, brasten, braste
imperative plural	bresteth, breste	—
participles	brestynge, brestende	brosten, broste, bresten, breste

¹Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
²Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Related terms

• atbresten
• brest
• burst

Descendants

• English: burst, bust
• Scots: brist, bryst

References

• “bresten, v.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Noun

bresten m

1. singular definite of brest