Where does “Pittsburgh” come from?

Pittsburgh derives from English Pitt and Middle English -s, continuing Old English burg, from Proto-Germanic burgz and ultimately Proto-Indo-European bʰerǵʰ-, meaning fortified place.

Ancestry of “Pittsburgh”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-burghPlace name suffix, indicating the site of a...
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 “Pittsburgh”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ- →