Brett

See also: brett

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɹɛt/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛt

Etymology 1

Related to Breton, Brittany, and more distantly Briton.

Proper noun

Brett

1. A surname transferred from the nickname meaning "Breton, an inhabitant of Brittany".
2. A unisex given name transferred from the surname.
   • 2022 May 12, Dave Davies, “Has Tucker Carlson created the most racist show in the history of cable news?”, in NPR‎^[1], spoken by Nicholas Confessore, archived from the original on 28 June 2023:

     In his cast of characters, you really see a disproportionate focus, I think, on Black women - on Kamala Harris, who he's insinuated only has her job today because of who she dated; to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who he's demanded the LSAT scores of - I don't recall him demanding the LSAT scores for Brett Kavanaugh - Karine Jean-Pierre.

3. A river in Suffolk, England, which joins the Suffolk River Stour at Higham in Babergh district.

Alternative forms

• (male given name): Bret

Etymology 2

Short for Brettanomyces.

Noun

Brett (uncountable)

1. (informal) Brettanomyces, a yeast genus that is used in brewing some beers, and can also affect the taste of wine.

East Central German

Alternative forms

• Breet, Braat, Bratt

Etymology

Compare Luxembourgish Breet, German Breite.

Noun

Brett f

1. (Erzgebirgisch) breadth, width

   De Brett von Lastr war ze gruß, do issr in dr Brick stacken gebliem.

   The width of the truck was too big, so it got stuck in the bridge.

References

• https://www.erzgebirgisch.de/b.braat_1.wort

German

Etymology

From Middle High German brët, from Old High German brët, from Proto-West Germanic *bred, from Proto-Germanic *bredą, an e-grade byform of *burdą (“board, plank”). Cognate with Old English bred and Yiddish ברעט (bret).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʁɛt/
• Rhymes: -ɛt

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

Noun

Brett n (strong, genitive Brettes or Bretts, plural Bretter, diminutive Brettchen n or Brettlein n)

1. board, plank

   Die Fenster des verlassenen Hauses waren alle mit Brettern vernagelt.

   The windows of the abandoned house were all boarded up (nailed shut with boards).

2. (slang, music) energetic, forceful track

Declension

Declension of Brett [neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Brett	die	Bretter
genitive	eines	des	Brettes, Bretts	der	Bretter
dative	einem	dem	Brett, Brette1	den	Brettern
accusative	ein	das	Brett	die	Bretter

¹Now rare, see notes.

Hyponyms

• Balancierbrett ("balance board")
• Bügelbrett
• Dielenbrett
• Eichenbrett
• Fensterbrett
• Griffbrett
• Holzbrett
• Kiefernbrett
• Klemmbrett
• Küchenbrett
• Reißbrett
• Scherbrett
• Schneidbrett
• Schwarzes Brett
• Sprungbrett
• Trittbrett
• Wandbrett

Derived terms

• Brett vor dem Kopf
• Brettchen
• dicker Bretter bohren
• ein Brett vor dem Kopf haben
• einen Stein im Brett haben

Descendants

• → Esperanto: breto

Further reading

• “Brett” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
• “Brett” in Duden online
• “Brett”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[2] (in German)

Hunsrik

Noun

Brett n (plural Bretter, diminutive Brettche)

1. board

   En Brett fum Boddem is los.

   A floorboard is loose.

Further reading

• Boll, Piter Kehoma (2021), “Brett”, in Dicionário Hunsriqueano Riograndense–Português, 3rd edition (overall work in Portuguese), Ivoti: Riograndenser Hunsrickisch, page 28

Old English

Alternative forms

• Bret

Etymology

From a British form of Latin Brittō.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /brett/, [bret]

Proper noun

Brett m

1. Briton (native or inhabitant of Britain)
   • Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Manuscript A, year 491

     Ne wearþ þǣr furðum ān Brett tō lāfe.

     There was not even one Briton left.

2. Breton (native or inhabitant of Brittany)

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	Brett	Brettas
accusative	Brett	Brettas
genitive	Brettes	Bretta
dative	Brette	Brettum

Derived terms

• Brettas
• Brettisċ

Related terms

• Breten

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

Compare German Brett, Dutch berd, Old English bred.

Noun

Brett n (plural Bredder)

1. bracket
2. board

Synonyms

• Bord