English
bracelet
Bracelet comes from Old French bracelet ‘bracelet (jewelry)’, from bras ‘arm’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *mreǵʰ- ‘short’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mreǵʰ-1‘short’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mréǵʰus2‘short, brief’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*brəkʰús2reconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβρᾰχῠ́ς3‘short’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβραχίων4
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbrachium4
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400bras5‘arm’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400bracelet5‘bracelet (jewelry)’diminutive form of bras
- Englishearliest quotation 1903bracelet5
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
- 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus
- 2 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βραχύς
- 3 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek βραχίων
- 4 Wiktionary, Old French bras
- 5 Wiktionary, English bracelet
- Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1903, Campbell Cowan Edgar, Greek Sculpture: “[…] and fastened on his breast by a buckle…”.
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mreǵʰ-Wiktionary, Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus‘short’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*mréǵʰusWiktionary, Ancient Greek βραχύς‘short, brief’reconstructed
- Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*brəkʰúsWiktionary, Ancient Greek βραχύςreconstructed
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβρᾰχῠ́ςWiktionary, Ancient Greek βραχίων‘short’
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβραχίωνWiktionary, Old French bras
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbrachiumWiktionary, Old French bras
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400brasWiktionary, English bracelet‘arm’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400braceletWiktionary, English bracelet‘bracelet (jewelry)’diminutive form of bras
- Englishearliest quotation 1903braceletWiktionary, English bracelet. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1903, Campbell Cowan Edgar, Greek Sculpture: “[…] and fastened on his breast by a buckle…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *mreǵʰ- ‘short’
through Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus ‘short, brief’
brief, merry, brevity, abbreviate, 32 more
through Ancient Greek βρᾰχῠ́ς ‘short’
through Ancient Greek βραχίων
through Latin brachium
through Old French bras ‘arm’
Today it means
noun A band or chain worn around the wrist as jewelry/jewellery or an ornament.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “bracelet”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Indo-European *mréǵʰus, Ancient Greek βραχύς, Ancient Greek βραχίων, Old French bras. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *mreǵʰ- / bracelet