Editing Breast (section)

==Etymology and terminology==
The English word ''breast'' derives from the [[Old English]] word {{lang|ang|brēost}} {{Gloss|breast, bosom}} from [[Proto-Germanic]] {{lang|gem-x-proto|breustam}} {{Gloss|breast}}, from the [[Proto-Indo-European]] base {{lang|ine-x-proto|bhreus–}} {{Gloss|to swell, to sprout}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Indo-European Lexicon |url=http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/ielex/PokornyMaster-X.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420225029/http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/lrc/ielex/PokornyMaster-X.html |archive-date=20 April 2016 |website=The University of Texas at Austin }}</ref> The ''breast'' spelling conforms to the Scottish and North English dialectal pronunciations.<ref>
{{cite web |title=breast |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=breast |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120202185418/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=breast |archive-date=2 February 2012 |access-date=7 March 2011 |website=Online Etymology Dictionary }}
</ref> The ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'' states that "[[Middle English]] {{lang|enm|brest}}, [comes] from Old English {{lang|ang|brēost}}; akin to [[Old High German]] {{lang|goh|brust}}..., [[Old Irish]] {{lang|sga|brú}} [belly], [and] Russian {{lang|ru-Latn|bryukho}}"; the first known usage of the term was before the 12th century.<ref>
{{cite web |title=Definition of breast |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breast |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220084629/https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/breast |archive-date=20 December 2016 |access-date=10 December 2016 |website=Dictionary by Merriam-Webster }}
</ref>

''Breasts'' is often used to refer to female breasts in particular, though the stricter anatomical term refers to the same region on members of either sex. Male breasts are sometimes referred to in the singular to mean the collective upper chest area,{{efn|Such that one's hands might be folded "upon one's breast" or one's heart might be "within one's breast"}} whereas female breasts are referred to in the plural unless speaking of a specific left or right breast.

A large number of colloquial terms for female breasts are used in English, ranging from fairly polite terms to vulgar or slang.{{efn|See [[Wiktionary:Thesaurus:breasts]]}} Some vulgar slang expressions may be considered to be derogatory or sexist to women.<ref>{{cite web |last=Groot |first=Sue de |date=18 September 2016 |title=Is there a respectful slang word for breasts? |url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2016-09-18-is-there-a-respectful-slang-word-for-breasts/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161211114217/http://www.timeslive.co.za/sundaytimes/lifestyle/opinion/article1754258.ece |archive-date=11 December 2016 |access-date=11 December 2016 |website=Sunday Times }}</ref>