Where does “newlywed” come from?
Newlywed comes from English newly and English wed, which derives from Middle English wedden, Old English weddian, Proto-West Germanic waddjōn, and Proto-Germanic wadjōną, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European wedʰ- meaning to pledge or promise.
newlywed (English): A recently married person; recently married
Definitions
- A recently married person; recently married
Ancestry of “newlywed”, step by step
newlywed traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English newly
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | newly | Very recently; in the immediate past |
| 2 | Middle English | newly | — |
| 3 | Old English | nīewlīċe | newly |
| 4 | Old English | -līċe | ly (adverbial suffix) |
| 5 | Old English | -e | forming adverbs from adjectives; -ly |
| 6 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 7 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 8 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |
via English wed
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | wed | To perform the marriage ceremony for; to join in... |
| 2 | Middle English | wedden | to marry; to wed |
| 3 | Old English | weddian | to pledge, to promise; to betroth; to wed, to... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | waddjōn | to wager, to pledge |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | wadjōną | to wager, to pledge |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | wadją | wager, stake, pledge |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | wedʰ- | to bind, to secure; to pledge, to guarantee; to... |