Brown
/braʊn/noun
A color resembling chocolate, coffee, earth, or dark wood.
Did you know?In Old English, brown could describe not just color but also a glossy or shining surface, showing that its history is more textured than modern eyes expect.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*brūnaz
“Brown, dark-colored, or shining”
Old English
OE
brūn
“Brown; dark, dusky, or shining”
Old High German
OHG
brūn
“Brown, dark, shining”
Old French
OF
brun
“Brown”
Middle English
English
broun
“Brown”
Modern English
English
brown
“The color brown”