English
burden
Burden comes from Middle English birthene ‘a child carried in the womb’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to carry, bear’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to carry, bear’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*burþį̄reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*burþīreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*burþinireconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150byrden
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500birthene‘a child carried in the womb’
- Englishearliest quotation 1591burden
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to carry, bear’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*burþį̄reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*burþīreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*burþinireconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150byrden
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500birthene‘a child carried in the womb’
- Englishearliest quotation 1591burden
Earliest quotation: 1591, William Shakespeare, The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]: “My burdened heart would break.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to carry, bear’
different, offer, bar, difference, transfer, bear, prefer, reference, broad, bread, relative, suffer, translation, relation, fortune, relate, extraordinary, barrel, differ, barn, frustration, bore, translate, baron, breeze, referee, bark, referendum, fertility, borne, fertile, fury, berth, broom, phosphate, extravagant, barrow, embargo, fret, phosphorus, 158 more
through Middle English birthene ‘a child carried in the womb’
Another origin of burden
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷr̥dusuncertain
- Gaulishc. 500 BCE–500 CE*burdus‘mule’uncertain
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500burdō‘mule’uncertain
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400bordon‘drone’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500burdoun‘accompaniment’
- Englishtodayburden
Today it means
noun A heavy load.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- / burden