bridegroom

Where does the word "bridegroom" come from? It comes from Old English brȳdguma, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

Bridegroom’s story begins in Old English: brȳdguma meant “bride's man.” Brȳd 'bride' + guma 'man', a word related to Latin homo; German Bräutigam kept the same compound. It reached English by 1500s as bridegroom. When guma died out, speakers substituted the familiar 'groom', then meaning a manservant or stable lad. Today, bridegroom means a man on his wedding day or just before or after it.

1. Stage 1 · Old English · medieval brȳdguma "bride's man", brȳd 'bride' + guma 'man', a word related to Latin homo; German Bräutigam kept the same compound.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1500s bridegroom "man about to marry", when guma died out, speakers substituted the familiar 'groom', then meaning a manservant or stable lad.