brûler

Meaning

1. to burn
2. to burn oneself
3. to pass an obstacle, to blow (through or past), to run

Pronounced as (IPA)

/bʁy.le/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French brusler, from Old French brusler, bruller (“to burn”), probably an enhanced form of usler (“to scorch”), from Latin ustulāre. Cognate with dialectal Italian brustolare. The initial br- may be compared to Italian bruciare, but the further origin is uncertain. One or more of the following may have contributed: (1) Old French bruir (“to burn”), from Frankish *brōjan (“to scald, sear”); (2) Latin ambūrere, combūrere (“to burn”) and their participles ambustus, combustus; (3) a Gaulish cognate of Old Irish bruth (“boiling heat”). The words in 1 and 3 are from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁-.