Where does “burthen” come from?

burthen (Middle English) comes from Old English byrþen, from Proto-West Germanic burþini, from Proto-West Germanic burþī, from Proto-Germanic burþį̄, from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- — shiny, light brown.

Ancestry of “burthen”, step by step

burthen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old English byrþen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbyrþenburden
2Proto-West Germanicburþiniburden
3Proto-West Germanicburþīburden
4Proto-Germanicburþį̄burden
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰēr-shiny, light brown

via Old English byrden

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbyrden—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰēr- →Every word from Proto-Germanic burþį̄ →Every word from Proto-West Germanic burþī →
burthen — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer