The Etymology of Brooch
Brooch and broach were once a single English word, both spelled 'broche' and both descending from Old French 'broche,' meaning a pointed object β a kitchen spit, a weapon, or a pin.βββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ The French word came from Vulgar Latin '*brocca,' itself from Latin 'broccus' (projecting, pointed). Medieval English used the word for any pointed instrument, including the ornamental pins worn to fasten cloaks. As the jewellery use grew in importance, scribes began to spell that sense differently, and by the 15th century 'brooch' was settling on the ornament while 'broach' kept the spit and the verb. The two are an unusual case where a single word splits into two living English words, each preserving a different shade of the original meaning.