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BURH

  • noun [ feminine ]
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Grammar
BURH, burg; gen. burge; dat. byrig, byrg; acc. burh, burg; pl. nom. acc. burga; gen. burga; dat. burgum; f. [beorh, beorg = burh, burg the impert. of beorgan to defend] .
Wright's OE grammar
§111; §220; §262; §278; §323; §411; §562;
the original signification was arx, castellum, mons, a castle for defence. It might consist of a castle alone; but as people lived together for defence and support, hence a fortified place, fortress, castle, palace, walled town, dwelling surrounded by a wall or
rampart of earth; arx, castellum, mons, palatium, urbs munita, domus circumvallata
Show examples

  • Se Abbot Kenulf macode fyrst ða wealle abútan ðone mynstre, [and] geaf hit ðá to nama Burh [Burch MS.], ðe ǽr hét Medeshámstede

    the Abbot Kenulf first made the wall about the minster, and gave it then the name Burh = Burg [Petres burh Peter's burg = Peterborough] , which before was called Meadow-home-stead,

      Chr. 963; Erl. 123, 27-34; Th. 221, 34-39. The style of the Anglo-Saxon indicates a late date, perhaps about 1100 or 1200.

  • Burg

    arx,

      Cot. 10.

  • Stíþlíc stán-torr and seó steápe burh on Sennar stód

    the rugged stone-tower and the high fortress stood on Shinar,

      Cd. 82; Th. 102, 15; Gen. 1700.

  • Óþ ðæt hie on Sodoman weall-steápe burg wlítan meahton

    till they on Sodom's lofty-walled fortress might look,

      109; Th. 145, 7; Gen. 2402.

  • Ðǽr se hálga heáh, steáp reced, burh timbrede

    there the holy man built a high, steep dwelling, a walled town,

      137; Th. 172, 6; Gen. 2840.

  • Burge weall

    the wall of a city;

    murus,
      Ps. Th. 17, 28.

  • Ðæt hie geseón mihten ðære wlitegan byrig weallas

    that they might see the walls of the beautiful city,

      Judth. 11; Thw. 23, 24; Jud. 137: Ps. Th. 44, 13: 47, 11.

  • On leófre byrig and háligre

    in montem sanctificationis suæ,

      77, 54: 77, 67.

  • Ðá férdon híg þurh ða burhga

    egressi circuibant per castella.

      Lk. Bos. 9, 6.

  • Eádweard cyng fór mid fierde to Bedan forda, and beget ða burg king Edward went with an army to Bedford, and gained the walled town, Chr. 919; Th. 192, 24, col. l. Ge binnan burgum, ge búton burgum

    both within walled towns, and without walled towns,

      L. Edg. S. 3; Th. i. 274, 7.

  • Ðone æðeling on ðære byrig métton, ðǽr se cyning ofslægen læg

    they found the ætheling in the inclosure of the dwelling, where the king lay slain,

      Chr. 755; Th. 84, 19, col. 1: L. Edm. S. 2; Th. i. 248, 16: L. Eth. iii. 6; Th. i. 296, 5.
a fortress or castle being necessary for the protection of those dwelling together in cities or towns, —
a city, town, burgh, borough; urbs, civitas, oppidum
Show examples

  • Róma burh

    the city Rome,

      Bd. 1. 11; S. 480, 10, 12.

  • Ða ðe in burh móton gongan, in Godes ríce

    they may go into the city, [may go] into God's kingdom,

      Cd. 227; Th. 303, 16; Sat. 613.

  • Ðonne hý hweorfaþ in ða hálgan burg

    when they pass into the holy city,

      Exon. 44b; Th. 150, 26; Gú. 784.

  • Ðæt he gesáwe ða burh

    ut videret civitatem,

      Gen. 11, 5.

  • Ða burh ne bærndon

    they burnt not the city,

      Ors. 2, 8; Bos. 52, 8.

  • Burge weard

    the guardian of the city,

      Cd. 180; Th. 226, 19; Dan. 173: Ps. Th. 9, 13.

  • Ðonne hí eów éhtaþ on ðysse byrig

    cum persequentur vos in civitate ista,

      Mt. Bos. 10, 23: Exon. 15b; Th. 34, 14; Cri. 542.

  • Binnan ðære byrig

    within the city,

      Ors. 2, 8; Bos. 52, 4.

  • Beóþ byrig mid Iudéum getimbrade

    ædificabuntur civitates Judæ,

      Ps. Th. 68, 36.

  • Byrig fægriaþ

    towns appear fair,

      Exon. 82a; Th. 308, 32; Seef. 48.

  • Ðá ongan he hyspan ða burga

    tunc cæpit exprobrare civitatibus,

      Mt. Bos. 11, 20.

  • On burgum

    in the towns,

      Beo. Th. 105; B. 53.
Etymology
[Piers P. Chauc. burghe: R. Brun. burgh: R. Glouc. borȝ: Laym. burh: Orm. burrh: Plat. borch, f: O. Sax. burg, f. urbs, civitas: Frs. borge, m. f: O. Frs. burch, burich, f: Dut. burgt, f: Kil. borg, borght: Ger. burg, f. arx, castellum: M. H. Ger. burc, f: O. H. Ger. buruc, burg, f. urbs, civitas: Goth. baurgs, f: Dan. borg, m. f: Swed. borg, m: O. Nrs. borg, f.]
Derived forms
DER. ealdor-burh [-burg], fóre-, freó-, freoðo-, gold-, heáfod-, heáh- [heá-], hleó-, hord-, in-, leód-, mǽg-, medo-, meodu-, rand-, rond-, sceld-, scild-, scyld-, stán-, under-, weder-, wín-, wyn-.
Linked entries
v.  burcg burg burga burhg burug buruh byrig.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “BURH.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/5434.

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  • BURH, n.

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