'breathy' originates from the English word 'breath', which comes from Old English 'brǣth', meaning 'odor, scent, exhalation'.

'brǣth' transformed into the Middle English word 'breth', and eventually became the modern English word 'breath'.

Initially, it meant 'odor or scent', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'the air taken into or expelled from the lungs'.