An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Brücke

by Friedrich Kluge

Brücke, feminine, ‘bridge,’ from the equivalent Middle High German brücke, Old High German brucka, feminine, which points to Gothic *brugjô, feminine; compare Dutch brug, Anglo-Saxon brycg, English bridge. Besides the meaning ‘bridge,’ common to West Teutonic, the Old Icelandic bryggja (likewise Low German brügge) is used in the sense of ‘landing-place, pier,’ while brú (equal to Modern High German Braue) is the proper Scandinavian word for ‘bridge.’ Brücke (from *brugjô-) is undoubtedly allied to Old Icelandic brú; no common Aryan term for bridge can be found. Old Slovenian brŭvĭ also means both ‘eyebrow’ and ‘bridge,’ and Old High German brâwa (see under Braue) is identical with Old Gallic brîva, ‘bridge,’ both of which point to Aryan bhrêwâ. With regard to the transition of *brawî to *brugî, see Jugend.