wed
/wɛd/
verb
Origin
Proto-Germanic
wadjō — pledge or security
Overview
Meaning Now
- To marry; to take someone as a husband or wife.
- To join or unite two things closely or inseparably.
Literal older meaning
to pledge or vow
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
weddian
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
The term originates from the Germanic legal practice of 'wed-setting', where a groom provided a pledge or security (a wadium) to the bride's family to validate a marriage contract. Over time, the word moved from the legal action of pledging to the ceremonial act of marriage itself.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*wedh-
“to pledge”
Root indicating the act of providing security.
- Proto-Germanic
*wadjōną
“to pledge, to bind by a pledge”
Development of the verbal form from the noun meaning 'pledge'.
- Old English
weddian
“to engage, to marry, to promise”
In Old English, this initially meant to provide a pledge/security.
- Middle English
wedden
“to marry”
Standardized sense of entering into matrimony.
Connections
Word parts
wed
root
pledge or promise
Related across languages
Old High German
wettian
to pledge
Old Norse
veðja
to bet or wager
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.