Brittle
/ˈbrɪt.əl/noun
Easily broken or shattered; fragile.
Did you know?The word 'brittle' shares roots with the concept of breaking, hinting at an ancient belief that fragile things are cursed or unlucky.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bherǵ-
“To break or to shatter.”
Old English
OE
bryttel
“Easily broken or shattered.”
Middle English
ME
brittel
“Fragile, breakable.”
Modern English
English
brittle
“Describing a material that breaks easily.”