Skip to main content
burgh

burgh

2 9.9
A Scottish town that has its own local government
  • noun
  • /bɜːrɡ/
  • Archaic
translation icon : burgh
  • The small burgh of Stornoway is known for its beautiful scenery and rich history.

Examples

  • In Scotland, each burgh has its own governing council that makes local decisions.

  • When the treaty was ratified in 1296, the seals of representatives from six of the burghs were appended to the document.

    Academic text (2006)
  • No, I don't know this burgh, not yet.

  • Where's the library in this scruffy little burgh?

  • Over every one of these tithings or decennaries, there was a chief called a tithingman or burgh-holder, who had the power to call a court and to try small offenses.

    Academic text (2007)
  • St Columba's, Lerwick, would house a big service; the Garrison Theatre would stage Shetland concerts; a Hamefarers Club would be opened in the Burgh Courtroom in the Town Hall.

    Academic text (1990)
  • Residents of the burgh organized a festival to celebrate their community and traditions.

Synonyms

burg
vsburgh
  • Informal
9 7.9

A small town, not a big city

is a formally chartered, self-governing Scottish municipality with historic autonomy
shire town
vsburgh
8.4

A town that is the main place for county government, like where the courthouse is

is locally self-governing under an old charter rather than being simply the county center

Surface Forms

burgh singular
burghs plural

Etymology

Burgh comes from old words like burh and burg, which meant 'fort' or 'protected place'. Think of a burgh as a town that grew from a small fort — it is the same root as borough and appears in names like Pittsburgh, so burgh means a town with its own local government.