English word broken comes from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreg-, Proto-Indo-European *bʰre-, Proto-Indo-European *bʰruHg-, and later Proto-Germanic *brūkaną (To make use of, employ, use, consume.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *bʰreg- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to break |
| *bʰre- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to burn, heat |
| *bʰruHg- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to use, enjoy, to make use of, to have enjoyment of |
| *brūkaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To make use of, employ, use, consume. |
| *brukōną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| brūcan | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | |
| *brukanaz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| brocen | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | Broken. |
| broken | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | |
| broken | English (eng) | (colloquial, US, of a, situation) Not having gone in the way intended; saddening.. (meteorology, of the sky) Five-eighths to seven-eighths obscured by clouds; incompletely covered by clouds.. (of a, bone or body part) Fractured; having the bone in pieces.. (of a, line) Dashed, made up of short lines with small gaps between each one and the next.. (of a, person) Completely defeated and [...] |