bridd

Etymology

 * the word appears to be exclusive to Old English and lacks cognates in any other Germanic languages. Liberman notes that dozens of origins have been both suggested and rejected, leaving its original meaning and etymology a mystery. It might possibly be from a non-Indo-European, with a likely onomatopoeic origin.

Formally, the word could potentially lead back to a, possibly to , a derivative of , and may have therefore been used of young birds or fowl that were able to perch but not quite able to fly (i.e. "perch-ling", or "roost-ling"; compare modern ). If so, then possibly related to 🇨🇬. Otherwise, the derivation and shift in meaning remains unclear.

Noun

 * 1) chick
 * 2) chicken