borough [OE] The early words burg and burh meant ‘a fortress’. Later they became ‘a fortified town’ and eventually ‘town’, ‘district’. Over time various spellings arose, particularly in place names. Burgh [ME] is a Scots form. Burgher [M16th] meaning ‘inhabitant of a borough’ was reinforced by Dutch burger, from burg ‘castle’. Bourgeois [E17th] adopted from French (from late Latin burgus ‘castle’) is related. An animal’s defensive place, its burrow [ME] is a variant of borough.