Etymology

burgess

B3U1R1G2E1S1S1

Today it means: An inhabitant of a borough with full rights; a citizen. Full definition →

Middle English burgeis ← Anglo-Norman burgeis ← Late Latin burgensis
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burgess · noun1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰerǵʰ-
  2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*burgz“stronghold, city”
  3. Frankish · derived from*burg
  4. Latin · derived fromburgus
  5. Late Latin · derived fromburgensis
  6. Anglo-Norman · derived fromburgeis“town-dweller”
  7. Middle English · inherited fromburgeis
  8. English todayburgess

From Middle English burgeis, from Anglo-Norman burgeis (“town-dweller”), of Proto-Germanic origin; either from Late Latin burgensis (from Latin burgus), or from Frankish *burg, both from Proto-Germanic *burgz (“stronghold, city”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerǵʰ-. See also borough, bourgeois, burgish.

Burgess · proper noun2

  1. Anglo-Norman · derived fromburgeis“town-dweller”
  2. English todayBurgess

By proprialization from burgess, which is from Anglo-Norman burgeis (“town-dweller”); more at burgess.

Words from the same roots

Frankish*burg all →

burglarburgBurdoburgessy

Proto-Germanic*burgz all →

boroughburglarburgburrowburghbrochburgherburgessy

Proto-Indo-European*bʰerǵʰ- all →

forcerugbybarrowburrowfortifyberghphrygianburgher

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.