English
bridle
Bridle comes from Middle English bridel ‘a bridle, reins, or bit’, from Proto-West Germanic *brigdil ‘strap, rein’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrēḱ-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰrēḱ-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bregdaną‘to tug, move, swing’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*brigdilaz‘strap, rein’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*brigdil‘strap, rein’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150brīdel
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bridel‘a bridle, reins, or bit’
- Englishearliest quotation 1729bridle
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰrēḱ-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bregdaną‘to tug, move, swing’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*brigdilaz‘strap, rein’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*brigdil‘strap, rein’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150brīdel
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bridel‘a bridle, reins, or bit’
- Englishearliest quotation 1729bridle
Earliest quotation: 1729, Isaac Watts: “Let wisdom put a bridle on them before they…”
Formed from braid + -le
Proto-Indo-European *bʰrēḱ-
Proto-Germanic *bregdaną ‘to flicker, flutter, jerk, tug, twitch,…’
Proto-West Germanic *bregdan ‘to move back and forth’
Old English breġdan ‘to move quickly, pull, shake, swing, throw…’
Middle English braiden
English braid
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰrēḱ-
through Proto-Germanic *bregdaną ‘to tug, move, swing’
Today it means
noun The headgear with which a horse is directed and which carries a bit and reins.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰrēḱ- / bridle