bridegroom
UK[ˈbraɪdɡruːm]US[ˈbraɪdɡruːm]
n
a man on his wedding day, or just before or after it
Morpheme Breakdown
bride
groom
bride
woman to be married
groom
man
Etymology
the word 'bridegroom' originates from old english 'brydguma', where 'bryd' meant 'bride' and 'guma' meant 'man'. in the 16th century, the now-obsolete 'guma' was replaced by the more familiar word 'groom' (a young man or attendant), due to similarity in sound and the evolving social role of the male partner in a marriage. this alteration created the modern compound, which literally translates to "bride's man." the term reflects the historical perspective of marriage where the woman (bride) was the central figure, and the man was defined in relation to her.
Analysis
Structure: bride (woman to be married) + groom (man)
- bride: from old english 'bryd', meaning a woman to be married.
- groom: from middle english 'grom', meaning a young man or male servant. its association with marriage is a later development.
Examples
the bridegroom looked nervous but happy as he waited at the altar.
traditionally, the best man gives a speech about the bridegroom at the wedding reception.
she took a lovely photograph of the bride and bridegroom cutting the cake.