Where did the term "broad" come from?

"broad - O.E. brad, from P.Gmc. *braithaz (cf. O.Fris. bred, O.N. brei, Du. breed, Ger. breit, Goth. brous), of unknown origin. Not found outside Gmc. languages. Slang extension to meaning "woman" (1911) may be suggestive of broad hips, but it also may trace to Amer.Eng. abroadwife, for a woman away from her husband, often a slave. Earliest use suggests immorality or coarse, low-class women. Because of this negative association, and the rise of women in athletics, the track and field broad jump was changed to the long jump c. 1967." www.etymonline.com

What a coincidence ! That was about the same time I lost interest in field events.

Ha-Ha DG...Thanks NNN!!!