brayen

Middle English

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈbræi̯ən/

Etymology 1

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

Alternative forms

brai, bray, braye

Verb

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

To cry out in alarm or sorrow.
(of an animal) To cry or shriek.
(of the weather, rare) To howl or roar.

Conjugation

Conjugation of brayen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) brayen, braye
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	braye	brayed
2nd-person singular	brayest	brayedest
3rd-person singular	brayeth	brayed
subjunctive singular	braye	brayed
imperative singular	braye	—

plural¹	brayen, braye	brayeden, brayede
imperative plural	brayeth, braye	—

participles	brayinge, brayende	brayed, ybrayed

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

English: bray
Middle Scots: bray

References

“braien, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

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