brach

See also: Brach and brách

English

Etymology 1

Originally in plural, from Old French brachez, plural of brachet, a diminutive of Occitan brac, from Frankish. Cognate to the German Bracke. More at brachet.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɹæt͡ʃ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ætʃ

Noun

brach (plural brachs or braches)

1. (archaic) A hound; especially a female hound used for hunting, a bitch hound.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], lines 109-111:

     FOOL: Truth's a dog that must to kennel; he must be whipped out, when Lady, the brach, may stand by the fire and stink.

   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene vi]:

     Mastiffe, Grey-hound, Mongrill, Grim, / Hound or Spaniell, Brache, or Hym […] .

   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC:
     , NYRB 2001, vol.1 p.331:

     A sow-pig by chance sucked a brach, and when she was grown, “would miraculously hunt all manner of deer, and that as well, or rather better than any ordinary hound.”

2. (archaic, derogatory) A despicable or disagreeable woman.
   • 1847 December, Ellis Bell [pseudonym; Emily Brontë], Wuthering Heights: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Thomas Cautley Newby, […], →OCLC:

     Now, was it not the depth of absurdity—of genuine idiotcy, for that pitiful, slavish, mean-minded brach to dream that I could love her?

Synonyms

• bitch

See also

• brachet

Etymology 2

Clipping of brachiopod.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɹæk/
• Rhymes: -æk

Noun

brach (plural brachs)

1. (paleontology, informal) brachiopod

Anagrams

• B.Arch., Barch

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech brach. By surface analysis, bratr (“brother”) +‎ -ch.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbrax]
• Hyphenation: brach

Noun

brach m anim

1. (colloquial) bro
2. (colloquial) guy

Declension

Declension of brach (velar masculine animate)

	singular	plural
nominative	brach	brachové, braši
genitive	bracha	brachů
dative	brachovi, brachu	brachům
accusative	bracha	brachy
vocative	brachu	brachové, braši
locative	brachovi, brachu	braších
instrumental	brachem	brachy

Further reading

• “brach”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “brach”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “brach”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech)

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /braːx/, [bʁaːχ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

Backformation from brachliegen, from in Brache liegen, from the noun Brache (“fallow land, fallowness”). Cognate with Dutch braak. Related with brechen (etymology 2).

Adjective

brach (strong nominative masculine singular bracher, not comparable)

1. fallow

   Synonyms: unbestellt, unbebaut

Declension

Positive forms of brach (uncomparable)

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist brach	sie ist brach	es ist brach	sie sind brach
strong declension (without article)	nominative	bracher	brache	braches	brache
	genitive	brachen	bracher	brachen	bracher
	dative	brachem	bracher	brachem	brachen
	accusative	brachen	brache	braches	brache
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der brache	die brache	das brache	die brachen
	genitive	des brachen	der brachen	des brachen	der brachen
	dative	dem brachen	der brachen	dem brachen	den brachen
	accusative	den brachen	die brache	das brache	die brachen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein bracher	eine brache	ein braches	(keine) brachen
	genitive	eines brachen	einer brachen	eines brachen	(keiner) brachen
	dative	einem brachen	einer brachen	einem brachen	(keinen) brachen
	accusative	einen brachen	eine brache	ein braches	(keine) brachen

Derived terms

• Brachland

Related terms

• Brache
• brachliegen (brach liegen)

Etymology 2

Verb

brach

1. first/third-person singular preterite of brechen

Irish

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

brach m (genitive singular bracha)

1. pus
2. discharge from eyes during sleep

Declension

Declension of brach

Third declension

Bare forms (no plural of this noun) Case Singular Nominative brach Vocative a bhrach Genitive bracha Dative brach

Forms with the definite article: Case Singular Nominative an brach Genitive an bhracha Dative leis an mbrach don bhrach

Derived terms

• brachaí (“bleary”, adjective) (of eyes)
• brachshúileach (“blear-eyed”, adjective)

Etymology 2

Noun

brach f (genitive singular braiche)

1. Alternative form of braich (“malt”)

Declension

Declension of brach

Second declension

Bare forms (no plural form of this noun) Case Singular Nominative brach Vocative a bhrach Genitive braiche Dative brach

Forms with the definite article Case Singular Nominative an bhrach Genitive na braiche Dative leis an mbrach don bhrach

Verb

brach (present analytic brachann, future analytic brachfaidh, verbal noun brachadh, past participle brachta)

1. (transitive, intransitive) Alternative form of braich (“malt”)

Conjugation

conjugation of brach (first conjugation – A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	brachaim	brachann tú; brachair†	brachann sé, sí	brachaimid	brachann sibh	brachann siad; brachaid†	a bhrachann; a bhrachas / a mbrachann*	brachtar
	past	bhrach mé; bhrachas	bhrach tú; bhrachais	bhrach sé, sí	bhrachamar; bhrach muid	bhrach sibh; bhrachabhair	bhrach siad; bhrachadar	a bhrach / ar bhrach*	brachadh
	past habitual	bhrachainn / mbrachainn‡‡	bhrachtá / mbrachtᇇ	bhrachadh sé, sí / mbrachadh sé, s퇇	bhrachaimis; bhrachadh muid / mbrachaimis‡‡; mbrachadh muid‡‡	bhrachadh sibh / mbrachadh sibh‡‡	bhrachaidís; bhrachadh siad / mbrachaidís‡‡; mbrachadh siad‡‡	a bhrachadh / a mbrachadh*	bhrachtaí / mbrachta퇇
future		brachfaidh mé; brachfad	brachfaidh tú; brachfair†	brachfaidh sé, sí	brachfaimid; brachfaidh muid	brachfaidh sibh	brachfaidh siad; brachfaid†	a bhrachfaidh; a bhrachfas / a mbrachfaidh*	brachfar
conditional		bhrachfainn / mbrachfainn‡‡	bhrachfá / mbrachfᇇ	bhrachfadh sé, sí / mbrachfadh sé, s퇇	bhrachfaimis; bhrachfadh muid / mbrachfaimis‡‡; mbrachfadh muid‡‡	bhrachfadh sibh / mbrachfadh sibh‡‡	bhrachfaidís; bhrachfadh siad / mbrachfaidís‡‡; mbrachfadh siad‡‡	a bhrachfadh / a mbrachfadh*	bhrachfaí / mbrachfa퇇
subjunctive	present	go mbracha mé; go mbrachad†	go mbracha tú; go mbrachair†	go mbracha sé, sí	go mbrachaimid; go mbracha muid	go mbracha sibh	go mbracha siad; go mbrachaid†	—	go mbrachtar
	past	dá mbrachainn	dá mbrachtá	dá mbrachadh sé, sí	dá mbrachaimis; dá mbrachadh muid	dá mbrachadh sibh	dá mbrachaidís; dá mbrachadh siad	—	dá mbrachtaí
imperative		brachaim	brach	brachadh sé, sí	brachaimis	brachaigí; brachaidh†	brachaidís	—	brachtar
verbal noun		brachadh
past participle		brachta

* indirect relative
† archaic or dialect form
‡‡ dependent form used with particles that trigger eclipsis

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
brach	bhrach	mbrach
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977) “brach”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Old Czech

Etymology

From bratr +‎ -ch.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (13^th CE) /ˈbrax/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ˈbrax/

Noun

brach m pers

1. diminutive of bratr
2. brother
3. friend
4. lover

Declension

Declension of brach (hard o-stem)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	brach	brachy	braši, brachové
genitive	bracha	brachú	brachóv
dative	brachu, brachovi	brachoma	brachóm
accusative	bracha	brachy	brachy
vocative	braše	brachy	braši, brachové
locative	brachu, brachovi	brachú	brašiech
instrumental	brachem	brachoma	brachy

This table shows the most common forms around the 13th century.
See also Appendix:Old Czech nouns and Appendix:Old Czech pronunciation.

Derived terms

• brachek

 

Descendants

• Czech: brach

References

• Jan Gebauer (1903–1916) “brach”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbrax/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ax
• Syllabification: brach

Etymology 1

Clipping of brat + -ch.

Noun

brach m pers

1. (colloquial) bro (comrade or friend)

   Coordinate term: siora

Declension

Declension of brach

	singular	plural
nominative	brach	brachy
genitive	bracha	brachów
dative	brachowi	brachom
accusative	bracha	brachów
instrumental	brachem	brachami
locative	brachu	brachach
vocative	brachu	brachy

Derived terms

noun

• brachol

 

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Noun

brach m inan

1. locative plural of ber

   Synonym: berach

Further reading

• brach in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• brach in Polish dictionaries at PWN