brayen

Middle English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbræi̯ən/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Old French braire (“to cry”), from Vulgar Latin *bragiāre, from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *bragyeti (“to fart”).

Alternative forms

• brai, bray, braye

Verb

brayen (third-person singular simple present brayeth, present participle brayinge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle brayed)

1. To cry out in alarm or sorrow.
2. (of an animal) To cry or shriek.
3. (of the weather, rare) To howl or roar.

Conjugation

Conjugation of brayen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) brayen, braye
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	braye	brayed
2nd-person singular	brayest	brayedest
3rd-person singular	brayeth	brayed
subjunctive singular	braye
imperative singular		—
plural1	brayen, braye	brayeden, brayede
imperative plural	brayeth, braye	—
participles	brayynge, brayende	brayed, ybrayed

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: bray
• Middle Scots: bray

References

• “braien, v.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman breier, possibly from Frankish *brekan, from Proto-Germanic *brekaną; thus a doublet of breken.

Verb

brayen (third-person singular simple present brayeth, present participle brayinge, first-/third-person singular past indicative and past participle brayed)

1. To break up; to crush into pieces.
2. (rare) To stomp or pound upon.
3. (rare) To push or budge.

Conjugation

Conjugation of brayen (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) brayen, braye
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	braye	brayed
2nd-person singular	brayest	brayedest
3rd-person singular	brayeth	brayed
subjunctive singular	braye
imperative singular		—
plural1	brayen, braye	brayeden, brayede
imperative plural	brayeth, braye	—
participles	brayynge, brayende	brayed, ybrayed

¹ Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: bray
• Scots: brie

References

• “braien, v.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.