Home › Glossary › Letter B

brach

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A female hound, especially used in hunting; a term of contempt for a woman (rare).

Detailed Definition
In medieval hunting poetry, “brach” denotes a valued hunting dog, symbolizing loyalty and skill. Its occasional derogatory use reflects period misogyny, equating women with animals. Poets may employ it ambivalently—praising canine prowess while inadvertently revealing gendered language patterns in chivalric or allegorical contexts.
Example
Example in poetry:
The brach bayed softly at the rising moon; Her eyes, like a brach’s, held loyalty and fire; The brach tracked lies through the court’s perfumed halls; He praised his hound, a noble brach and true
Additional Notes
“Brach” is a female hound used in hunting, symbolizing loyalty and skill. Rarely, it served as a derogatory term for women—reflecting period misogyny. In medieval hunting poetry, it denotes valued canine prowess. Poets may use it ambivalently, praising animal virtue while inadvertently revealing gendered language patterns. Related terms include “hound,” “bitch” (canine), and “cur,” but “brach” is historically specific to hunting contexts, carrying connotations of trained excellence rather than mere animality.
Also Known As
brach hound female hound
Skip to main content