page_title: Bridge
section_title: Etymology
hierarchical_section_title: Bridge / Etymology
caption_attribution_description: The Si-o-se Pol is a bridge over the Zayandeh Rud (river) in Isfahan - Iran.
context_page_description: A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle, such as a body of water, valley, or road, without closing the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, usually something that is otherwise difficult or impossible to cross. There are many different designs that each serve a particular purpose and apply to different situations. Designs of bridges vary depending on the function of the bridge, the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed and anchored, the material used to make it, and the funds available to build it.
  Most likely the earliest bridges were fallen trees and stepping stones, while Neolithic people built boardwalk bridges across marshland. The Arkadiko Bridge dating from the 13th century BC, in the Peloponnese, in southern Greece is one of the oldest arch bridges still in existence and use.
context_section_description: The Oxford English Dictionary traces the origin of the word bridge to an Old English word brycg, of the same meaning. The word can be traced directly back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰrēw-. The word for the card game of the same name has a different origin.
caption: The Siosepol bridge over Zayandeh River is an example of Safavid dynasty (1502–1722) bridge design. Isfahan, Iran
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