Bridegroom comes from Old English brȳdguma ('bride-man'), from brȳd ('bride') + guma ('man'). The second element was altered by folk etymology to groom ('lad, attendant') in the 16th century. The historical trail runs through brȳd in Old English and guma in Old English. Morphologically, bridegroom is transparent: it draws on Old English brȳdguma ('bride-man'), from brȳd ('bride') + guma ('man'). Used as a noun, bridegroom now means "a man on or just before his wedding day", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in related forms such as bride, bridal, and bridechamber. The modern word remains analyzable through its parts, which makes the semantic connection unusually direct.