Where does “borough” come from?

Borough descends from Old English burh and burg, from Proto-Germanic burgz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰerǵʰ-, a root meaning to protect or fortify.

borough (English): A fortified town; A town or city; A town having a...

Definitions

  1. A fortified town; A town or city; A town having a...

Ancestry of “borough”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishborweA pledge or security asset deposited as guarantee
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 “borough”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰr̥ǵʰ- →