neighbour

neighbour
\ \ [OE] Etymologically, your neighbour is simply someone who ‘lives near’ you. It is a compound formed in the Old English period from nēah (ancestor of modern English nigh) and gebūrdweller’ (a descendant of the prolific Germanic base *- ‘dwell’, which also produced English be, booth, bower, build, etc).
\ \ Parallel formations in other Germanic languages include German nachbar and Swedish and Danish nabo. The derivative neighbourhood dates from the 15th century, but was not used in its main modern sense ‘district’ until the late 17th century.
\ \ Cf.BE, BOOTH, BOWER, BUILD, BURLY, BYRE, HUSBAND, NEAR

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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Look at other dictionaries:

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  • neighbour — British English spelling of NEIGHBOR (Cf. neighbor) (q.v.); for spelling, see OR (Cf. or) …   Etymology dictionary

  • neighbour — (Brit.) neigh·bour || neɪbÉ™(r) n. one who lives in a nearby house; fellow human being; someone or something nearby (also spelled neighbor) …   English contemporary dictionary

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  • Neighbour — This very unusual and interesting name is of early medieval English origin, and derives from the Middle English term nechebure , a compound of the Olde English pre 7th Century neah , near, and gebur , dweller, from bur , a small dwelling or… …   Surnames reference

  • neighbour — I n. BE; AE spelling: neighbor 1) a next door neighbour 2) a neighbour to (she was a good neighbour to us) II v. (esp. BE) (D; intr.) to neighbour on …   Combinatory dictionary

  • neighbour */*/*/ — UK [ˈneɪbə(r)] / US [ˈneɪbər] noun [countable] Word forms neighbour : singular neighbour plural neighbours 1) someone who lives near you Several of our friends and neighbours stopped by over the holidays. my next door neighbour They ve been good… …   English dictionary

  • neighbour — n. & v. (US neighbor) n. 1 a person living next door to or near or nearest another (my next door neighbour; his nearest neighbour is 12 miles away; they are neighbours). 2 a a person regarded as having the duties or claims of friendliness,… …   Useful english dictionary

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