Brawny
/ˈbrɔːni/noun
Having strong, well-developed muscles; muscular and robust.
Did you know?The word is related to older Germanic forms meaning “shaggy” or “rough,” showing how English often turned a visible texture into a metaphor for bodily power.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhreus-
“to swell, burst forth, or move violently”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*brūsaz
“rough, shaggy, bristling”
Old English
OE
brūn
“brown, dark-colored”
Middle English
ME
brawny
“shaggy, rough; later muscular”
Modern English
English
brawny
“muscular; strongly built”