Word
burgh
UK/bˈɜːɡ/
Definitions
01a Scottish town
n. a town in Scotland that has special rights or its own local government.
n. a chartered town in Scotland, formerly enjoying a degree of administrative autonomy. The term is now largely historical or used for specific administrative districts.
“The local council met to discuss the future of the historic burgh.”
“Although the formal status of the royal burgh was abolished in the 1970s, the town maintains its traditional civic ceremonies.”
British English · Dialect
Usage
Commonly found in the names of Scottish towns, such as Edinburgh or Helensburgh.
Teaching tip
Learners should note that while 'borough' is the standard English term, 'burgh' is specifically Scottish and pronounced like 'burra' or 'burg' depending on the specific name.
02a small mound
n. a small hill or mound, usually mentioned in the names of old burial sites.
n. a small mound or hillock, specifically used in reference to ancient burial mounds or tumuli.
“Archaeologists discovered ancient tools buried within the grassy burgh.”
“The landscape is dotted with ancient burghs that served as burial sites for the region's prehistoric inhabitants.”
Archaic · Technical
Usage
Mostly restricted to archaeological contexts or specific place names.
Etymology
From Middle English borwe, borgh, burgh, buruh, from Old English burh, from Proto-West Germanic burg, from Proto-Germanic burgz (“city, stronghold”). Cognate with Dutch burg, French bourg, German Burg, Persian برج (borj, “tower; battlement, fort”), Swedish borg. Doublet of borough, Brough, and Bury.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/burgh