Etymologically
Log in

harbor

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 13:51. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈhɑːbə/ (UK); /ˈhɑɹbɚ/ (US)[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English herberwe, herberge, from Old English *herebeorg, here-beorg, lodgings, quarters,[2][3][4] from Proto-Germanic *harja-bergaz, shelter for an army, from *harjaz, army (see harry) and a word for shelter related to beorgan (“to save, protect”),[3][2][5] from PIE Proto-Indo-European *bhergh- (“to hide, protect”).[3] It is cognate with German Herberge (“hostel, inn”) and Dutch herberg, and was perhaps modelled on Old Norse herbergi.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

Refuge, lodgings: about 1125 in Barnhart;[2] a lodging for ships, a sheltered recess in a coast, the early 12th century in Etymonline.[3] The harbour for ships is probably before 1200, in Layamon.[2]

Semantic evolution

In Middle English herberwe meant a temporary dwelling, an inn, or an army's camp, and the sense for ships is a specialization of it.[3] The verb, Old English herebeorgian, to take up quarters, shelter oneself, gives to harbour a fugitive and figuratively a feeling or grudge.[3][6] The form harber appears about 1475.[2] Merriam-Webster's word histories connect it with harbinger, originally one who went ahead to arrange lodgings.[5]

Timeline

  • c. 1125 – lodgings.[2]
  • before 1200 – a harbour for ships.[2]
  • c. 1475 – the form harber.[2]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. A sheltered place on a coast where ships can anchor safely; a port.
  2. A place of shelter or refuge.

Verb

  1. To give shelter or a hiding place to, especially to a criminal.
  2. To keep a thought or feeling in one's mind: harbor a grudge.
  3. To contain or carry, as germs.

Word family

  • harborer
  • harborful
  • harborless
  • harborous
  • harborage
  • harbormaster
  • harborside
  • Bar Harbor

Usage notes

British English spells the word harbour.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K. (1988), The Barnhart Dictionary of Etymology
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b Merriam-Webster's Book of Word Histories, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  7. ^ Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
  8. ^ Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (2009), 5th ed., Harlow: Pearson Longman