beorg

Old English

Alternative forms

• beorh, berg

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *bergaz (“mountain”).

Cognate with Old Frisian berch, Old Saxon berg, Old High German berg (German Berg), Old Norse bjarg, Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌲- (bairg-); and with Old Irish brí (“mountain”), Old Church Slavonic брѣгъ (brěgŭ) (Russian бе́рег (béreg)), Sanskrit बृहत् (bṛhát, “high”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /be͜orɡ/, [be͜orˠɣ]

Noun

beorg m

1. mountain, hill
   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

     Fuluius sē consul fōr mid firde on Crēce tō þǣm beorgum þe mon Olimphus hæt.

     The consul Fulvius went to Greece with an army, to the mountain known as Olympus.

2. mound, heap of stones, barrow
3. high beach, elevated shore

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	beorg	beorgas
accusative	beorg	beorgas
genitive	beorges	beorga
dative	beorge	beorgum

Derived terms

• ġebeorg
• herebeorg

Descendants

• Middle English: bergh, berȝ, beruȝ, beruh, berw
  • English: barrow; bergh (Northern England)
  • Scots: burrae
• Middle English: berȝe, beryhe, berye (via beorge (genitive))
  • English: berry