Forms: α. 1 brýdguma, 2–3 brid-, brudgume, 3 bridgom(e, 3–4 bridegome, 4 brydgome, (Kentish) bredgome; β. 6 brydegrome, 6–7 bridegrome, -groome, bridgroome, 6– bridegroom. [α. OE. brýdguma, f. brýd, BRIDE + guma ‘man’ (poetic):—*OTeut. gumon-, cognate with L. homin-. The compound was Common Teut.: cf. OS. brûdigomo (MDu. brûdegome, Du. bruidegom), OHG. brûtigomo (MHG. briutegome, Ger. bräutigam), ON. brûðgumi (Sw. brudgumme, Da. brudgom):—OTeut. *brúđigumon-; not preserved in Gothic, which has brûþfaþs = ‘bride’s lord.’ β. After GOME became obs. in ME., the place of bridegome was taken in 16th c. by bridegrome, f. grome, GROOM ‘lad.’
During the 14th c. the only known examples of bridegome are northern or Kentish: no instances at all are known in the 15th c., and in the Promptorium and Catholicon, bryde is of both sexes: see BRIDE1 2. The 16th c. brydegrome was thus perh. really the ‘bride-lad,’ i.e., the lad who was a ‘bride’: cf. bride-couple, and the original senses of bride-man, bride-woman. Was it a new independent formation only accidentally resembling brydegome, or had the latter survived in some dialect, whence it was drawn forth in the 16th c. in a mistaken form?]
1. A man about to be married, or very recently married.
α. Form brydegome.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., John iii. 28. Se ðe bryde hæfð, se is brydguma [Lindisf. se ðe hæfes ða bryd brydguma is].
c. 1200. Ormin, 10393. To beon bridgume nemmnedd.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 9. Gentille wimmen … þat nabbeð hwerwið buggen ham brudgume.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13424. Þan left þe bridgom his bride.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xviii. [xix.] 6. Als bride-gome of his boure comand.
1340. Ayenb., 233. Þe wyse maydines … yeden in mid þe bredgome to þe bredale.
β. Form bridegroom.
1526. Tindale, John iii. 29. He that hath the bryde is the brydegrome. But the frende of the brydegrome, which [etc.] [Wyclif He that hath a wif is the housbonde, but the frende of the spouse, etc.].
1535. Coverdale, 2 Esdr. xvi. 34. The daughters shal mourne, hauinge no brydegromes.
1580. Baret, Alv., B 1241. A Bridegroome, sponsus.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., III. i. 153. And is the Bride and Bridegroom coming home?
1791. Burns, Lament J. Earl Glencairn, x. The bridegroom may forget the bride Was made his wedded wife yestreen.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 71. He … dresses himself as a bridegroom and marries his master’s daughter.
b. fig. Said of Christ in his relation to the Church, or as heavenly spouse of a nun.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 19. Bring me to þi brihte bur, brudgume of wunne.
1842. Tennyson, St. Agnes’ E., 31. For me the Heavenly Bridegroom waits.
2. comb. or attrib.
1647. Cowley, Mistr., Gazers, iv. On the earth with Bridegroom-Heat, He [the sun] does still new Flowers beget.
1711. Shaftesb., Charac., II. 396. The bridegroom-doge, who in his stately Bucentaur floats on the bosom of his Thetis.
