Meaning

verb draw air into, and expel out of, the lungs

verb be alive

verb impart as if by breathing

originFrom Middle English brethen (“to breathe, blow, exhale, odour”), derived from Middle English breth (“breath”). Eclipsed Middle English ethien and orðiæn, from Old English ēþian and orþian (“to breathe”); as well as Middle English anden, onden, from Old Norse anda (“to breathe”). More at breath.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0