bury

Meanings

Verb

Noun

Origin

  • Middle English burien, berien, from Old English byrġan, from Proto-Germanic *burgijaną ("to keep safe"), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- ("to defend, protect"). Cognate with Icelandic byrgja ("to cover, shut; to hold in"); West Frisian bergje ("to keep"), German bergen ("to save/rescue something"); also Albanian mburojë ("shield"), Eastern Lithuanian bir̃ginti ("to save, spare"), Russian бере́чь ("to spare"), Ossetian ӕмбӕрзын ("to cover").
  • The spelling with ⟨u⟩ represents the pronunciation of the West Midland and Southern dialects, while the Modern English pronunciation with /ɛ/ is from the Kentish dialects.
  • See borough.

Modern English dictionary

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