*brugjǭ

Runic: ᛒᚱᚢᚷᛃᛟ Pronunciation: /ˈbruɣ.jɔ̃ː/

noun · feminine · ōn-stem

Meanings

bridge

Etymology

Of uncertain origin. (Kroonen 2011b: 151–52) claims this is from Proto-Indo-European *h₃bʰruH-íh₂-, an ih₂-stem nominal from root *h₃bʰrúHs (‘eyebrow’), citing the visual relationships between an eyebrow and arched bridge. A pre-Germanic formation *brug- comes from an earlier *bruwī (< *h₃bʰruH-íh₂-) with velarization of the *-w-to a *-g-(see Seebold 1982). The North Proto-Germanic forms (cf. Old Norse bryggja) originate from the genitive of *h₃bʰruH-íh₂-: *h₃bʰruH-yéh₂-s > Proto-Germanic *brujjōz from Holtzmann's law (cf. ON egg < *ajją).

(Matasović 2009a) derives the root as Proto-Germanic **brōwō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreh₁w-eh₂ from root *bʰrewh₁- (‘wooden flooring, decking, bridge’), comparing Gaulish brio, -brīua (‘bridge’, from Proto-Celtic *brīwā). However, this direct form lacks the necessary environment for velarization of *-w-to a *-g-, which Seebold maintains as:

*w → *g / {u, i, e} __ u

and Kroonen expands to:

*w → *g / V₁[+high] __ V₂[+high] (where V₁ or V₂ = u)

Thus, it could not account for the North or West Proto-Germanic forms that show velarization. Whether *bʰrewh₁- and *h₃bʰrúHs are related is uncertain, but one can see a strong resemblance in both phonology and semantics.

Declension

Case	Singular	Plural
Nom.	brugjǭ	brugjōniz
Acc.	brugjōnų	brugjōnunz
Gen.	brugjōniz	brugjōnǫ̂
Dat.	brugjōni	brugjōmaz
Inst.	brugjōnē	brugjōmiz
Voc.	brugjǭ	brugjōniz

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Descendants

*bruggju (Proto-West Germanic)
- brugga (Old Dutch)
  - brugge (Middle Dutch)
    - brögk (Limburgish)
*bruggju (Proto-West Germanic)
- brugga (Old Dutch)
  - brugge (Middle Dutch)
    - brug, Brugge (Dutch)
      - brug (Afrikaans)
*bruggju (Proto-West Germanic)
- bryċġ (Old English)
  - brigge, brugge, brygge, bregge, brige, brig, bryge, brydge (Middle English)
    - bridge, brig (English)
    - brig (Scots)
*bruggju (Proto-West Germanic)
- brigge, bregge (Old Frisian)
  - ? (North Frisian)
  - Brääch, Brääg (Saterland Frisian)
  - brêge (West Frisian)
*bruggju (Proto-West Germanic)
- brugga, brucca (Old High German)
  - brucke, brücke, brügge, brugge (Middle High German)
    - Brugg (Alemannic German)
    - Bruck, Brugg (Bavarian)
    - Brick (East Central German)
    - Brücke (German)
    - בריק (brik) (Yiddish)
*bruggju (Proto-West Germanic)
- brugga, brucca (Old High German)
  - brucke, brücke, brügge, brugge (Middle High German)
    - Bröck, Breck (Central Franconian)
      - Bréck (Luxembourgish)
*bruggju (Proto-West Germanic)
- brugga, brucca (Old High German)
  - brucke, brücke, brügge, brugge (Middle High German)
    - Brick (Pennsylvania German)
*bruggju (Proto-West Germanic)
- bruggia, bruggie, brugge (Old Saxon)
  - brugge (Middle Low German)
    - Brigj (Plautdietsch)
*bruggju (Proto-West Germanic)
- bruggia, bruggie, brugge (Old Saxon)
  - brugge (Middle Low German)
    - Brügge (Low German)
      - brugge, brogge, brog (Dutch Low Saxon)
      - Brugge, Brügg(e), Brüch (Low German)
bryggja (Old Norse)
- brygge (Danish)
- bryggja (Faroese)
- bryggja (Icelandic)
- brygge (Norwegian Bokmål)
- brygge, bryggje, brygga, bryggja (Norwegian Nynorsk)
bryggja (Old Norse)
- brig, brigg, bryg, bregg (Middle English)
  - brig, brigg, breeg (Scots)
    - brig, brigg (English)
bryggja (Old Norse)
- bryggia, ᛒᚱᛦᚵᚵᛁᛆ (Old Swedish)
  - brygga (Swedish)

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