brave English · revision 5905

+ {{infobox|confidence=uncertain|formation=borrowing|attested=1485|origins=it bravo}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA: /breɪv/^(Roach et al. 2011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[bor|frm|brave|t=splendid, valiant]],^(Etymonline)^(Barnhart 1988)^(Hoad 1986) from Italian [[m|it|bravo|t=brave, bold, fine]] or Spanish [[m|es|bravo|t=courageous, wild, savage]],^(Barnhart 1988)^(NODE 1998)^(SOED 2002) a word of uncertain origin.^(Etymonline) Many derive it from Latin [[m|la|barbarus]] (see [[barbarous]]), through a Romance *brabus;^(Hoad 1986)^(NODE 1998)^(MWU 2024) Barnhart thinks this phonetically doubtful and also allows Medieval Latin bravus “cutthroat”, from Latin prāvus “crooked, depraved”, which Etymonline takes as more likely.^(Barnhart 1988)^(Etymonline) A Celtic origin has also been suggested, and two or more words may have been confused.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Courageous, daring: 1485, in Caxton's translation from French.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Word Origins notes that the courageous were bold in Old English and could be courageous in the Middle Ages, but brave only from the late 15th century;^(Cresswell 2021) Old English words for the quality included mōdig, beald, cēne and dyrstig.^(Etymonline) Finely dressed, splendid or showy is from 1568, close to Scots [[braw]].^(OED 1989)^(Cresswell 2021) As a noun, brave was a hector or bully in the 1590s and a bold person about 1600;^(Etymonline) a North American Indian warrior is from 1827.^(Etymonline) The verb, to challenge or defy, is from 1546 in Barnhart and MWU;^(Barnhart 1988)^(MWU 2024) to face something with courage, 1761 in Etymonline.^(Etymonline) ''Brave new world'' is the title of Aldous Huxley's satirical novel of 1932, taken from Miranda's words in Shakespeare's ''Tempest''.^(Cresswell 2021)^(Etymonline) In much of English dialect, brave meant in good health, or fine, as an adverb “very well”.^(Wright 1898)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1485 – courageous, in Caxton.^(Barnhart 1988)^(OED 1989)

+ * 1546 – to defy.^(Barnhart 1988)

+ * 1568 – finely dressed, splendid.^(OED 1989)

+ * 1590s – a bully.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1761 – to face with courage.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1827 – a Native American warrior.^(Etymonline)

+ * 1932 – ''Brave New World''.^(Cresswell 2021)

+

+ ==Modern meaning==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # Having or showing [[courage]]; not afraid.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(literary)'' Fine or splendid: ''a brave show''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+

+ ===Verb===

+ # To face or endure something unpleasant or dangerous with courage: ''braving the cold''.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(archaic)'' To [[defy]] or challenge.^(SOED 2002)^(AHD)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # ''(dated, now offensive)'' A [[warrior]] of a Native American people.^(AHD)^(Collins 2023)

+ # ''(the brave)'' Brave people as a group.^(Collins 2023)^(OED 1989)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bravely]]

+ * [[braveness]]

+ * [[braver]]

+ * [[overbrave]]

+ * [[superbrave]]

+ * [[unbrave]]

+ * [[outbrave]]

+ * [[brave new world]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bravo]]

+ * [[bravura]]

+ * [[bravado]]

+ * [[bravery]]

+ * [[braw]]

+ * [[barbarous]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}