herberwe

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English herebeorg, from Proto-West Germanic *harjabergu; equivalent to here (“army”) +‎ bergh. The final vowel is levelled in from the Old English oblique cases; forms ending in /iː/ may be from the Old English dative singular.

Alternative forms

• harber, harborow, harborowe, harborrow, harbrow, harburrow, herbarwe, herber, herberewe, herberge, herbergh, herberȝ, herberȝe, herberhe, herberi, herberie, herberough, herberow, herberowe, herberowȝe, herberwh, herbore, herborewe, herborgh, herborogh, herborowe, herboru, herborugh, herborwe, herborwh, herbory, herbrow, herburgh
• (early) hærberȝe, hærberwe, herbearhe, herberia, herboruwe, hereberȝe, herrberrȝhe

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈhɛrˌbɛrwə/, /ˈhɛrˌbɛrx(ə)/, /ˈhɛrˌbɛrɔu̯(ə)/, /ˈhɛrˌbɛriu̯(ə)/, /ˈhɛrˌbɛriː/, /ˈhar-/
• (with reduction) IPA^(key): /ˈhɛrbər(ə)/, /ˈharbər(ə)/

Noun

herberwe (plural herberwes)

1. A place of residence; habitations:
   • 1387–1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Frankeleyns Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, [Westminster: William Caxton, published 1478], →OCLC; republished in [William Thynne], editor, The Workes of Geffray Chaucer Newlye Printed, […], [London]: […] [Richard Grafton for] Iohn Reynes […], 1542, →OCLC:

     To ech of hem his tyme and his seson, / As thyn herberwe chaungeth lowe or heighe

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   1. Accommodation, shelter; a temporary residence.
   2. A military base or camp.
   3. (figurative) The womb; the uterus.
2. (rare) Providing for guests; hospitality.
3. (nautical, rare) A harbour or port.

Related terms

• herberer
• herberwen
• herberweles

Descendants

• English: harbor (see there for further descendants)
• Scots: harbery, harbory, hairbour

References

• “herberwe, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Verb

herberwe

1. Alternative form of herberwen