From Late Latin 'branca' (paw, claw) via Old French — tree limbs were named for their resemblance to splayed claws.
A part of a tree growing out from the trunk; a division of a larger whole.
From Old French 'branche,' from Late Latin 'branca' meaning 'paw, claw.' The shift from 'claw' to 'tree limb' likely came from the resemblance of branching limbs to an animal's splayed claws. Key roots: branca (Late Latin: "paw, claw").