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.[1] It might possibly be from a non-Indo-European substrate, with a likely onomatopoeic origin.
Formally, the word may 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 fledged and able to perch but not yet able to fly (i.e. "perch-ling", or "roost-ling"; compare modern English rooster, bougher, brancher, etc.), as opposed to fugol ~ fuglas the term for birds that were able to fly. If so, then possibly related to Old English bred (“board, plank, tablet”). Otherwise, the derivation remains unclear.
bridd m
Strong a-stem:
singular | plural | |
---|---|---|
nominative | bridd | briddas |
accusative | bridd | briddas |
genitive | briddes | bridda |
dative | bridde | briddum |
bridd m