bridesmaid
Meaning
A girl or woman who helps and accompanies a bride on her wedding day.
Structure
Usage
Her sister was the chief bridesmaid at the wedding.
The bridesmaids wore beautiful lavender dresses.
As a bridesmaid, her duties included helping the bride get ready.
Etymology
The word 'bridesmaid' is a transparent compound from Old English elements, literally meaning "the bride's young female attendant." The 's' is a fossilized genitive (possessive) case marker, common in older English compounds, linking the bride to her attendant. The term 'maid' originally specified a young, unmarried woman, reflecting the historical custom of the bride's companions being unwed. Over time, the term has generalized to refer to any woman, married or not, who serves as an official attendant to the bride, while the core logic of the bride's supportive companion remains intact.
Analysis
- bride (Old English brȳd, meaning "a woman about to be married or recently married") - s (Old English genitive suffix, indicating possession or association) - maid (Middle English maide, short for maiden, from Old English mægden, meaning "a young unmarried woman")