Bridale

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. An archaic term for the festive feast or celebration held to mark a marriage
2. A old-fashioned word for the wedding festivities, including the feast held after the marriage ceremony
3. Refers to the nuptial celebration, especially the banquet and merrymaking that followed a wedding in earlier times

Etymology: A bridale was, at its root, a bride-ale: a feast held to celebrate a wedding. In Old English, "ealu" (ale) named a festive drinking gathering as much as the drink itself, so "brydealu" described the party that followed a marriage. The compound is built entirely from native Germanic words for bride and ale, with no Latin or French input. Over time the final syllable lost its prominence, and the ending "-al" was likely reanalysed as an adjective suffix. That reading is why "bridal" now works as an adjective meaning "of a wedding," even though its origin is a noun for a celebration.

Synonyms: wedding, nuptials, nuptial

Antonyms: funeral