Where does “barrow” come from?

Barrow comes from Old English bearg, from Proto-Germanic berganą, from Proto-Indo-European bʰerǵʰ-, ultimately derived from the root bʰer-.

barrow (English): A mountain; A hill; A mound of earth and stones...

Definitions

  1. A mountain; A hill; A mound of earth and stones...

Ancestry of “barrow”, step by step

barrow traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English berwe

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishberweAlternative form of barowe
2Middle EnglishberwenTo save, preserve, guard; To help out, deliver,...
3Old Englishbeorganto save, deliver; to preserve, guard, fortify,...
4Proto-Germanicberganąto take care of; to preserve, to keep; to...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰerǵʰ-to rise; high, lofty; hill, mountain

via Old English bearu

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbearua grove or wood
2Proto-West Germanic*barustretcher, bier
3Proto-Germanicbarwazconiferous forest; pinewood; wood; grove
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰorwos
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰor-to hum, buzz; coniferous forest; to protrude;...

via Proto-Celtic barros

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Celticbarrostop, summit
2Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰers-top, tip, point

Words derived from “barrow

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰerǵʰ-