Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “-bury” come from?

-bury (English) comes from Old English byriġ, from Old English burh, from Old English burg, from Proto-Germanic burgz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ-.

-bury (English): A placename suffix indicating a fortified place

Definitions

  1. A placename suffix indicating a fortified place

Ancestry of “-bury”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbyriġ—
2Old EnglishburhAlternative form of burg; fortress; hill
3Old Englishburgcity; town; a fortified place: stronghold, fort,...
4Proto-Germanicburgzfortification, stronghold; city
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰr̥ǵʰ-—

Words derived from “-bury”

  • Roxbury
  • Middlebury
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ- →