burgher

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See also: Burgher

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English burger, burgher, burghere, equivalent to burgh-er (inhabitant of). Likely merged with and reinforced by Middle Dutch burgher (Modern Dutch: burger); from Middle High German burger (Modern German: Bürger); from Old High German burgāri (inhabitant of a fortress); derivative of burg (fortress, citadel), from Proto-West Germanic *burg, from Proto-Germanic *burgz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (fortified elevation).

Compare also Old English burgwaras (inhabitants of a burg, burghers, citizens) and Serbo-Croatian purger. More at borough.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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burgher (plural burghers)

  1. A citizen of a borough or town, especially one belonging to the middle class.
    1. A member of the medieval mercantile class.
    2. A citizen of a medieval city.
  2. A prosperous member of the community; a middle class citizen (may connote complacency).

Derived terms

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Translations

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