Broodiness
/ˈbruːd.i.nəs/noun
The condition of being broody; especially, a hen's instinct to sit on eggs and hatch them, or a person's moodiness or introspective heaviness.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from the same ancient root as Old English *brōd* “offspring, young,” so its history is tied to both hatching and the idea of a brood as a family or clutch.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰrewh₁-
“to boil, brew, seethe”
Old English
English
brōd
“offspring, young of an animal; brood”
Old English
English
brōdian
“to sit on eggs; to hatch”
Middle English
English
brody
“inclined to sit on eggs; brooding”
Modern English
English
broodiness
“the state or quality of being broody”