gen. brúar; nom. pl. brúar, Grág. i. 149, ii. 277, Eg. 529; brúr, Bs. i. 65 (Hungrvaka), is a bad spelling, cp. Landn. 332 (Mantissa); mod. pl. brýr, which last form never occurs in old writers; dat. sing. brú, gen. pl. brúa, dat. brúm: [A. S. brycg and bricg; Scot. brigg; Germ. brücke; Dan. bro; cp. bryggja]:—a bridge, Sturl. i. 244, 255, 256, iii. 24. In early times bridges, as well as ferries, roads, and hospitals, were works of charity, erected for the soul’s health; hence the names sælu-hús (hospital), sælu-brú (soul-bridge). In the Swedish-Runic stones such bridges are often mentioned, built by pious kinsmen for the souls of the dead, Baut. 41, 97, 119, 124, 146, 559, 796, 829, 1112, etc. The Icel. Libri Datici of the 12th century speak of sheltering the poor and the traveller, making roads, ferries, churches, and bridges, as a charge upon donations (sálu-gjafir); þat fé þarf eigi til tíundar at telja, er áðr er til Guðs þakka gefit, hvart sem þat er til kirkna lagit eðr brúa, eðr til sælu-skipa, K. Þ. K. 142, cp. D. I. i. 279, 402.

COMPDS: brúarfundr, brúargörð, brúarsporðr.