Breathe
/briːð/noun
To draw air into and expel air from the lungs; to live or be alive.
Did you know?In Old English, the same root behind *breathe* was linked to exhalation and odor, showing how early speakers treated breath as something visible, physical, and almost spirit-like.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰrewh₁-
“to boil, bubble, seethe; to emit vapor or steam”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*breuthaną
“to breathe, exhale”
Old English
OE
brēoþan
“to breathe, emit vapor”
Middle English
English
brethen / brethe
“to breathe”
Modern English
English
breathe
“to draw and expel air from the lungs”