- brown
- O.E. brun "dark, dusky," only developing a definite color sense 13c., from P.Gmc. *brunaz (cf. O.N. brunn, Dan. brun, O.Fris., O.H.G. brun, Du. bruin, Ger. braun), from PIE *bher- (3) "shining, brown" (cf. Lith. beras "brown"), related to *bheros "dark animal" (cf. beaver, bear (n.), and Gk. phrynos "toad," lit. "the brown animal"). The O.E. word also had a sense of "brightness, shining," now preserved only in burnish. The Gmc. word was adopted into Romanic (cf. M.L. brunus, It., Sp. bruno, Fr. brun). Brown-bag (v.) "to bring lunch or liquor in a brown paper bag" is from 1960s. Brown Bess, slang name for old British Army flintlock musket, first recorded 1785.