brethen

== Middle English == === Etymology 1 === From breth (“breath”) +‎ -en (infinitive suffix). First attested in c. 1300. ==== Alternative forms ==== breeth, breþe, breþyn breþi (Southern); brethyn (Promptorium Parvulorum) ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ˈbrɛ̝ːðən/, /ˈbreːðən/ ==== Verb ==== brethen (third-person singular simple present bretheth, present participle brethende, brethynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle brethed) (intransitive) To breathe; to engage in respiration. (transitive) To breathe life or inspiration into. (intransitive, rare) To take a break or breather (in battle). (intransitive) To evaporate; to become vapour. (intransitive) To smell; to emit an odour. ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Descendants ===== English: breathe → Middle Scots: braith Shetland: braed ===== References ===== “brēthen, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007. “breathe, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000. === Etymology 2 === Inherited from Old English brēoþan, from Proto-West Germanic *breuþan, from Proto-Germanic *breuþaną. ==== Alternative forms ==== breoðen (Laȝamon's Brut) ==== Pronunciation ==== IPA(key): /ˈbreːðən/ ==== Verb ==== brethen (third-person singular simple present bretheth, present participle brethende, brethynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle brethed) (intransitive, rare) To decay; to become ruined or destroyed. ===== Conjugation ===== ===== References ===== “brẹ̄þen, v.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007. “brethe, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.