Brothel Definition

Origin of Brothel

• From Middle English brothel, brodel, brodelle, brethel (“a wretch, a depraved man or woman”) (compare also Middle English bretheling (“a wretch”)), apparently from an unrecorded Old English *brēoþel (“degenerative, corruptive”), related to Old English ābrēoþan (“to unsettle, degrade, ruin, frustrate, degenerate, deteriorate, fall away”); Old English ābroþen (“degenerate, base, trifling”); both ultimately from Proto-Germanic *breuþaną (“to fall apart”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to carve, cut, split, rub”).

  From Wiktionary

• Short for brothel-house from Middle English brothel prostitute from brothen past participle of brethen to go to ruin from Old English brēothan to decay

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

• An abbreviation of ‘brothel-house’, ultimately from Old English ābrēoþan (“to degrade, deteriorate”), see above.

  From Wiktionary