burcht

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch borcht, alteration of earlier Middle Dutch burch / borch (surviving as modern Dutch burg), from Old Dutch *burg, from Proto-West Germanic *burg, from Proto-Germanic *burgz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ- (“fortified elevation”). The final -t is seemingly random, but not unheard of; such "paragogic" extensions occur occasionally in Dutch following a fricative or liquid word-final consonant. Compare for example hulst, kroost, rijst and arend.

Cognate with German Burg, English borough, -bury, burrow, Danish borg.

For sense two, compare English burrow.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bʏrxt/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: burcht
• Rhymes: -ʏrxt
• Homophone: Burgt

Noun

burcht m or f (plural burchten, diminutive burchtje n)

1. citadel, castle, borough

   Synonyms: citadel, kasteel, sterkte, (obsolete) burg

2. burrow of a badger, fox or beaver

Derived terms

• beverburcht
• bovenburcht
• burchttoren
• dassenburcht
• dwangburcht
• torenburcht
• voorburcht
• vossenburcht
• wagenburcht