breost

breost

1. (Early Middle English) alternative form of brest (“breast”)

From Proto-Germanic *breustą, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrews- (“to swell”). Cognate with Old Frisian briāst, Old Saxon briost, Old Norse brjóst.

• IPA^(key): /bre͜oːst/

brēost n

1. chest
2. breast
   • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, "Gospel of Saint John", chapter 13, verse 25

     Witodlīce þā hē hlinode ofer ðæs Hǣlendes brēostum, hē cwæð tō him, Drihten, hwæt ys hē?

     Certainly when he leaned over the Healer's (Jesus') breasts, he said to him, Lord, who is he?

   • late 9th century, Old English Martyrology

     Herodes hēt tīon þā ċild of hira mōdor brēostum ond bōsmum, ond þonne man þā ċild cwealde, þonne spiwon hīe þā meoloc ǣr þæt blōd.

     Herod ordered that the children be torn from their mothers' breasts and bosoms, and when they were killed they spat out the milk before the blood.

3. heart (seat of emotions located in the chest area)

Usual (neuter) declension: Strong a-stem:

Occasionally it occurs as feminine: Strong ō-stem:

• brēostcofa
• brēostrocc

• Middle English: brest, breste, breost, breist, brost, brust, brist, breast, bryest
  • English: brest, breast
  • Scots: brest, breist, breest