Groom Definition

Origin of Groom

• From Middle English grom, grome (“man-child, boy, youth”), of uncertain origin. Apparently related to Middle Dutch grom (“boy”), Old Icelandic grómr, gromr (“man, manservant, boy”), Old French gromme (“manservant”), from the same Germanic root. Possibly from Old English *grōma, from Proto-Germanic *grōmô, related to *grōaną (“to grow”), though uncertain as *grōaną was used typically of plants; its secondary meaning being "to turn green".

  From Wiktionary

• 1604, short for bridegroom (“husband-to-be”), from Middle English brydgrome, bridegome (“bridegroom”), from Old English brȳdguma (“bridegroom”), from brȳd (“bride”) + guma (“man, hero”), from Proto-Germanic *gumô (“man, person”), from Proto-Indo-European *dhg'həmo-, *dhg'homo-, equivalent to bride +‎ goom.

  From Wiktionary

• Alternate etymology describes Middle English grom, grome as an alteration of gome (“man”) with an intrusive r (also found in bridegroom, hoarse, cartridge, etc.), with the Middle Dutch and Old Icelandic cognates following similar variation of their respective forms.

  From Wiktionary

• Germanic cognates include Icelandic gumi and Norwegian gume. Cognate to human from Proto-Indo-European via Latin homo.

  From Wiktionary

• Middle English grom N., sense 2, short for bridegroom

  From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

• Second element reanalyzed as groom, "attendant."

  From Wiktionary