wedding
/ˈwɛdɪŋ/
noun
Origin
Old English
weddian — to pledge, to covenant, to engage by a pledge
Overview
Meaning Now
- A marriage ceremony, especially one accompanied by a celebration.
- The anniversary of a marriage.
Literal older meaning
The act of pledging or wagering.
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
weddung
Earliest period
11th century
Journey
The root of 'wedding' relates to the Germanic custom of giving a pledge (wad) to secure a contract. Historically, the 'wed' was the security or earnest money provided to the bride's father to finalize the marriage agreement, evolving from the act of securing a bargain to the ceremony itself.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*wadjōną
“to pledge, to stake”
- Old English
weddian
“to engage, to marry”
- Middle English
wedding
“marriage ceremony”
Connections
Word parts
wedd
root
pledge, covenant
ing
suffix
denoting an action or process
Related across languages
Old High German
wettan
to pledge
Old Norse
veðja
to wager
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.