Bräutigam

German

Etymology

From Middle High German briutegome, from Old High German brūtigomo, from Proto-Germanic *brūdigumô. The modern -i- (from Middle High German -e-) is due to palatisation before -g-, which has been pronounced as a fricative in many dialects. The -a- is a northern variant first attested in Middle Low German brǖdegam and northern Middle High German brūdegame. Further cognate with Dutch bruidegom, English bridegroom, Danish brudgom.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbʁɔʏtɪɡam/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Bräu‧ti‧gam

Noun

Bräutigam m (genitive Bräutigams, plural Bräutigame or Bräutigams, female Braut)

1. bridegroom (a man with regard to his wedding)

Usage notes

• The normal plural is Bräutigame.
• The plural Bräutigams is heard colloquially, chiefly in northern and central Germany (compare Dutch bruidegoms).

Further reading

• “Bräutigam” in Duden online