Where does “bridal” come from?

Bridal derives from Middle English bridale, from Old English brȳdealo, a compound of brȳd (bride) and ealo (ale), originally denoting a festive drinking occasion associated with weddings.

bridal (English): A wedding feast or festival; a wedding; Of or...

Definitions

  1. A wedding feast or festival; a wedding; Of or...

Ancestry of “bridal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishbridaleA wedding, especially the meal or feast at one; a...
2Old Englishbrȳdealowedding ale; wedding feast
3Old Englishealo—
4Proto-West Germanicalubeer, ale
5Proto-Germanicalubeer, ale
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂elut-beer

Words derived from “bridal”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂elut- →Every word from Proto-Germanic alu →Every word from Proto-West Germanic alu →
bridal — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer