Blacksburg

12 4.3

A town in southwestern Virginia that is home to Virginia Tech University

proper noun
/ˈblæksbɜːrɡ/

: Blacksburg

Nearly 150 years ago, a small school was started in Blacksburg called Olin and Preston Institute.
Blacksburg, Virginia
Virginia Tech in Blacksburg
Blacksburg, Va.

Examples

His house clung to a mountainside halfway between Blacksburg and Roanoke.

Fiction book (1993)
The annual festival in Blacksburg attracts visitors from nearby towns and cities.
In communities around the country, like Blacksburg, Virginia, computers are available in all public places, as common as the telephone.

Academic text (1997)
Florida State has a bye week and then a Thursday night game in Blacksburg, Virginia, against Virginia Tech.

Blog text (23)
Samuel D. Morgan is Associate Professor of Community College Administration, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.

Academic text (1991)
Other experiments on black walnut/honey locust silvopastures are underway with collaborators at Virginia Tech University, in nearby Blacksburg, Virginia.

Academic text (2005)
Dr. Reddy taught at the University of Oklahoma in Norman (1975-80) and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg (1980-92).

Academic text (2011)
Blacksburg is well-known for being the home of Blacksburg University.
Many students from across the country choose to study in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Surface Forms

Blacksburg main

Morphology

Blacksburg = black + burg (semi-transparent) = black + burg

Formed from 'black' + 'burg' (town); the elements are recognizable but as a proper place name the historical possessive and the element 'burg' may be unfamiliar to learners.

Etymology

Blacksburg comes from the last name Black and the old part burg, which means 'town' or 'fort' and appears in place names like Pittsburgh. So Blacksburg literally means 'Black's town', which is why it is the name of a town in Virginia.