English word breathe comes from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrēt-, Proto-Indo-European *bʰrē-t-, Proto-Germanic *breuþaną (To fall apart; crumble.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *bʰrēt- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *bʰrē-t- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *breuþaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To fall apart; crumble. |
| breoþan | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | To decay, waste away. |
| *brēþiz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Odour. Vapour; steam; breath. |
| brǣþ | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | |
| breeth | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | Breath. |
| brethen | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | |
| breathe | English (en) | (intransitive) Figuratively, to live.. (intransitive) To draw air into (inhale), and expel air from (exhale), the lungs in order to extract oxygen and excrete waste gases.. (intransitive) To exchange gases with the environment.. (intransitive) To expel air from the lungs, exhale.. (intransitive) To take in needed gases and expel waste gases in a similar way.. (intransitive, now, rare) To [...] |