bridegroom

Origin

From Middle English brydgrome, bridegome, from Old English brȳdguma, from Proto-Germanic *brūdigumô; equivalent to Old English brȳd (“bride”) + guma (“man”). Altered by folk etymology to end with groom, with it re-analyzed as or influenced by grom, grome (“attendant”), as guma was obsolete. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Brüüdicham, Dutch bruidegom, Afrikaans bruidegom, German Low German Brödigam, Brüdigam, Brögam, Brügam, Plautdietsch Briegaum, German Bräutigam, Norwegian Bokmål brudgom, Norwegian Nynorsk brudgom, Danish brudgom, Swedish brudgum, Icelandic brúðgumi, Faroese brúðgómur.