bridd

Old English

bridd

bridd

briddas

Alternative forms

• brid, bird

Etymology

Unknown; the word appears to be exclusive to Old English and lacks cognates in any other Germanic languages. Liberman notes that dozens of origins have been both suggested and rejected, leaving its original meaning and etymology a mystery. It might possibly be from a non-Indo-European substrate, with a likely onomatopoeic origin.

Formally, the word could potentially lead back to a Proto-West Germanic *bridi ~ *briddj-, possibly to Proto-Germanic *bridjaz, a derivative of *bredą (“board, plank, shelf", possibly also "perch, roost”), and may have therefore been used of young birds or fowl that were able to perch but not quite able to fly (i.e. "perch-ling", or "roost-ling"; compare modern English rooster). If so, then possibly related to Old English bred (“board, plank, tablet”). Otherwise, the derivation and shift in meaning remains unclear.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bridd/, [brid]

Noun

bridd m

1. chick (a young bird or fledgling, as opposed to an altricial chick or hatchling)
2. chicken

Declension

Declension of bridd (strong a-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	bridd	briddas
accusative	bridd	briddas
genitive	briddes	bridda
dative	bridde	briddum

Descendants

• Middle English: brid, bryd, bridde
  • English: bird
  • Scots: byrd, bird

Welsh

Noun

bridd m

1. Soft mutation of pridd.

Mutation

Welsh mutation
radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
pridd	bridd	mhridd	phridd
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.