An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Braut

by Friedrich Kluge

Braut, f., ‘bride, betrothed,’ from the equiv. MidHG. brût, OHG. brût, f. Goth. brûþs (stem brûdi-) means ‘daughter-in-law’; from this comes brûþ-faþs, ‘lord of the bride’ (faþs corresponds to Gr. πόσις, which stands, as πότνια indicates, for πότις, corresponding to OInd. patis, ‘lord’), i.e. ‘bridegroom.’ The MidHG., brût signifies ‘the young, newly married woman’; the borrowed ModFr. bru, earlier bruy, is, on account of its meaning, connected most closely with Goth. brûþs. ‘daughter-in-law’; comp. νύμφη, ‘betrothed, bride, daughter-in-law.’ In Eng. we may compare AS. brŷd, ‘betrothed,’ E. bride, which are primit. allied to the Germ.; comp. also E. bridal, from AS. brŷd-ealo, hence orig. ‘bride-ale.’ E. bridegroom is based upon E. groom, and represents AS. brŷdguma, the second component of which is Goth. guma, ‘man,’ corresponding to Lat. homo (primary form ghomon). The ModHG. Bräutigam is identical in etymology with the AS. word; comp. OHG. brûtigomo, MidHG. briutegome, in which the first part is properly gen. sing. (comp. Nachtigall). The Teut. root form brûdi- has not yet been explained etymologically; it is a word peculiar to Teut., like Weib and Frau. Goth. qino, ‘woman,’ MidHG. kone, are based on an ancient form; comp. Gr. γυνή, Sans. gnâ, ‘woman.’