Wurdahuzdą: Proto-Germanic dictionary

noun feminine ōn-stem bridge 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.