Brash
/bræʃ/noun
Self-assertive in a rude, noisy, or overconfident way.
Did you know?The word’s older history is tied to ideas of broken fragments and sudden force, not just personality—language often turns physical violence into social judgment.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhreg-
“to break, burst”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*brakaz / *braskaz
“broken, brittle, rough”
Old English
English
bræsċ / bræsc
“brittle, fragile, breaking easily”
Middle English
English
brash
“rash, hasty, impetuous; also brittle or broken up”
Modern English
English
brash
“rudely self-assertive, tactless, or overly bold”