a town or city, literally an enclosed and fortified dwelling, from bergen, Teut. to cover or protect. As these fortified places were often erected on heights for security, as well as to enable their inmates to observe the approaches of an enemy, the word berg (a hill) was frequently used synonymously with burg, as in the name of Königsberg and other towns—v. BERG. Burgh and borough are the Anglican forms of the word in England and Scotland, while bury is distinctively the Saxon form; e.g. Sudbury (south town), as also Sidbury in Salop, but Sidbury in Devon takes its name from the R. Sid. Tewkesbury, from Theoc (a certain hermit); Glastonbury, anc. Glastonia (a district abounding in woad, glastum); Shaftsbury (the town on the shaft-like hill); Shrewsbury, anc. Shrobbesbyrig (the fortress among shrubs), being the Saxon rendering of the native name Pengwerne (the hill of the alder grove), which the Normans corrupted into Sloppesbury, hence Salop; Tenbury, on the R. Teme; Canterbury, i.e. Cant-wara-byrig (the town of the dwellers on the headland), Cantium or Kent; Wansborough, in Herts; Wanborough, in Surrey and Wilts; Woodensborough, in Kent; Wednesbury, Stafford; Wembury, Devon (the town of the Saxon god Woden); Aldeborough, on the R. Alde; Marlborough, anc. Merlberga, situated at the foot of a hill of white stones, which our forefathers called marl, now chalk; Richborough, anc. Ru-tupium (rock town); Aylesbury, perhaps church town, ecclesia, or from a person’s name; Badbury (the city of pledges, bad), in Dorset; the Saxon kings, it is said, kept their hostages at this place; Malmesbury, the town of Maidulf, a hermit; Maryborough, named for Queen Mary. Burg or burgh, in the names of towns, is often affixed to the name of the river on which it stands in Britain, as well as on the Continent; e.g. Lauterburg, Lutterburg, Schwartzburg, Salzburg, Saalburg, Gottenburg, Rotenburg, and Jedburgh (on the rivers Lauter, Lutter, Schwarza, Salza, Saale, Gotha, Rothbach, and Jed). Still more frequently, the prefix is the name of the founder of the town, or of a saint to whom its church was dedicated; e.g. Edinburgh (Edwin’s town); Lauenburg, after Henry the Lion; Fraserburgh, in Aberdeenshire, founded by Sir Alexander Fraser of Philorth in 1570; Peterborough, from an abbey dedicated to St. Peter; Petersburgh, named by its founder, Peter the Great; Tasborough, Norfolk, on the R. Thais; Banbury, anc. Berinburig (Bera’s town); Queenborough, in the Isle of Sheppey, named by Edward III. in honour of his queen; Helensburgh, in Dumbartonshire, after the lady of Sir James Colquhoun; Pittsburg, U.S., after Mr. Pitt; Harrisburg, U.S., after the first settler in 1733; Sumburgh, in Shetland, and Svendborg, Sweden (Sweyn’s fortress); Oranienburg, in Brandenburg (the fortress of the Orange family); Bury St. Edmund’s (in memory of Edmund the Martyr); Rabensburg (the fort of Hrafn, a Dane); Marienburg (the town of the Virgin), founded by the Grand Master of the Teutonic order in 1274; Rothenburg, in Prussia, Sclav. Rostarzewo (the town of the Sclav. god Razi); Duisburg, corrupt. from Tuiscoburgum (the town of the Teut. god Tuesco); Flensburg, in Sleswick, founded by the knight of Flenes; Cherbourg, supposed to be Cæsar’s town; Augsburg (the town of the Emperor Augustus); Salisbury, anc. Searesbyrgg (the town of Sarum, a chief); Bamborough (the town of Bebba, the Queen of Ida, of Northumberland); Carrisbrook, corrupt. from Gwïhtgarabyrig (the fortress of the men of Wight); Amherstburg, in Canada, named in 1780 after Lord Amherst; Loughborough, anc. Leirburg (the town on the R. Leir, now the Soar); Hapsburg or Habichtsburg (hawk’s fortress); Schässburg, Hung. Segevar (treasure fort); Luneburg, in Hanover (the fort of the Linones, a tribe); Aalburg (Eel-town) on the Lyme-fiord. There are several towns in Germany named simply Burg (the fortress), also Burgos in Spain, and Burgo in Italy. As a derivative from this Teut. root, there is the Irish form of the word, introduced by the Anglo-Normans—buirghes, Anglicised borris and burris, as in Borris in Ossory, Burriscarra, Burrishoole (i.e. the forts erected in the territories of Ossory, Carra, and Umhal); Borrisokane (O’Keane’s fortress).
BURNE (A.S.),
BURNE (Gadhelic),
a small stream; e.g. Milburn (mill stream); Lambourne (muddy stream, lam); Radbourne and Redbourne (reedy stream); Sherbourne (clear stream, or the dividing stream); Cranbourne, Otterbourne (the stream frequented by cranes and otters); Libourne, in France (the lip or edge of the stream); Bourne, in Lancashire (on a stream); Burnham (the dwelling on a stream), in Essex; Melburne, in Yorkshire, in Doomsday Middelburn (middle stream); Auburn, formerly a village in Yorkshire, called Eleburn or Eelburn; Bannockburn (the stream of the white knoll); Sittingbourne, in Kent (the settlement on the stream); Eastbourne, contracted from its former name Easbourne (probably the stream of the water or the cascade, cas); Ticheburne (the kid’s stream, ticcen, A.S. a kid).
BUSCH, BOSCH (Ger.),
BOSC (A.S.), Low Lat. Boscus,
BUISSON (Fr.), BOIS,
BOSCO, BOSQUE (Span. and Port.),
BOD or BAD (Celtic),
a bushy place or grove; e.g. Boscabel (the beautiful grove); Bushey (a par. Co. Hertford); Buscot (the hut in the grove); Badenoch (a place overgrown with bushes), in Inverness; Breitenbusch (the broad grove); Hesel-boschen (hazel grove); Eichbusch (oak grove); Ooden-bosch (old grove), in Holland; Auberbosc (Albert’s grove), in France; Stellenbosch, in S. Africa, founded in 1670 by Van der Stelle, the governor of the Dutch colony; Biesbosch (the reedy thicket), in Holland; Aubusson (at the grove), France. Boissac, Boissay, Boissière, Boissey, etc., in France, from the same root; Bois-le-Duc (the duke’s wood); Briquebosq (birch-wood), in Normandy.
BWLCH (Welsh),
a pass or defile; e.g. Dwygyflch (i.e. the joint passes), in Wales; Bwlch-newydd (the new pass); Bwlch-y-groes (of the cross).
BYSTRI (Sclav.),
swift; e.g. Bistritza, Bistrica, Weistritz (the swift stream); Bistritz (the town on this river), called by the Germans Neusohl (new station).
BY, BIE,
BIGGEN-BO,
BŒUF (Fr.),