An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/brüten

by Friedrich Kluge

brüten, ‘to brood,’ from Middle High German brüeten, Old High German bruoten (Gothic *brôdjan); compare Anglo-Saxon brêdan, English to breed (with the further signification ‘to beget, bring up’). English bird, Anglo-Saxon bridd, ‘the young of birds, little bird.’ are often incorrectly allied to brüten; Anglo-Saxon bridd would be in Gothic *bridi (plural bridja), and consequently the connection of the English word with High German brüten (Gothic *brôdjan) becomes impossible. It is worth noticing that Dutch broeijen, Low German brœjen, and Modern High German dialectic brühen partake of the meaning of brüten. See brühen.