groom
/ɡruːm/
noun
Origin
Old English
groma — boy, youth, servant
Overview
Meaning Now
- A person employed to take care of horses.
- A bridegroom; a man on his wedding day.
Literal older meaning
a boy or young man (often in the context of service)
Language path
Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
grome
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The term 'groom' originally referred to a young boy or male servant. During the Middle Ages, as roles became more specialized in households, a 'groom of the stable' specifically looked after horses. Simultaneously, 'bridegroom' (a corruption of Old English 'brydguma', literally 'bride-man') was clipped to 'groom' in later centuries, creating a homonym.
Evolution
- Old English
groma
“boy, youth”
- Middle English
grome
“boy, youth, servant”
Transition from 'boy' to 'servant of a specific type'.
- 16th century
groom
“servant in charge of horses”
Semantic narrowing to those handling horses.
- 17th century
groom
“man on his wedding day”
Shortening of 'bridegroom'.
Connections
Word parts
groom
root
youth or servant
Related across languages
Old Saxon
grom
boy
Middle Dutch
grom
boy
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Related to groom
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.