burden

burden
\ \ There are two distinct words burden in English. By far the older, ‘load’, comes from Old English byrthen. Like bear, birth, bairn, bier, barrow, and berth it goes back ultimately to an Indo-European base *bher-, which signified both ‘carry’ and ‘give birth’. Its immediate Germanic ancestor was *burthi-, which also gave German bürdeload’. The other burden, ‘refrain’, and hence ‘main theme’, is an alteration of an earlier bourdon [14], which was borrowed from Old French bourdonbass pipe’.
\ \ Cf.BAIRN, BARROW, BEAR, BERTH, BIER, BIRTH

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • burden — bur·den n 1: something that is a duty, obligation, or responsibility the prosecution has the burden of proving every element of the offense the statute imposes undue burden s burden of pleading the necessary elements 2 …   Law dictionary

  • burden — bur‧den [ˈbɜːdn ǁ ˈbɜːrdn] noun [countable] 1. something that causes people a lot of difficulty or worry: • In less prosperous areas the taxes were, for many, such a burden that they lived in poverty. 2. particular costs such as taxes or interest …   Financial and business terms

  • Burden — Bur den (b[^u] d n), n. [Written also burthen.] [OE. burden, burthen, birthen, birden, AS. byr[eth]en; akin to Icel. byr[eth]i, Dan. byrde, Sw. b[ o]rda, G. b[ u]rde, OHG. burdi, Goth. ba[ u]r[thorn]ei, fr. the root of E. bear, AS. beran, Goth.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Burden — ist der Name mehrerer Personen: Chris Burden (* 1946), US amerikanischer Künstler Hugh Burden (1913–1985), britischer Schauspieler und Dramatiker Jane Burden (1839–1914), Modell und Muse der Präraffaeliten Burden ist außerdem der Name mehrerer… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • burden — n *load, cargo, freight, lading burden vb Burden, encumber, cumber, weigh, weight, load, lade, tax, charge, saddle are comparable when they mean to lay a heavy load upon or to lie like a heavy load upon a person or thing. Burden implies the… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • Burden — Bur den, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Burdened}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Burdening}.] 1. To encumber with weight (literal or figurative); to lay a heavy load upon; to load. [1913 Webster] I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened. 2 Cor. viii. 13.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • burden — burden1 [bʉrd′ n] n. [ME birthen < OE byrthen, akin to ON byrthr, a load: for IE base see BEAR1] 1. anything that is carried; load 2. anything one has to bear or put up with; heavy load, as of work, duty, responsibility, or sorrow 3. the… …   English World dictionary

  • Burden — Bur den (b[^u]r d n), n. [OE. burdoun the bass in music, F. bourdon; cf. LL. burdo drone, a long organ pipe, a staff, a mule. Prob. of imitative origin. Cf. {Bourdon}.] 1. The verse repeated in a song, or the return of the theme at the end of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Burden — Burden, KS U.S. city in Kansas Population (2000): 564 Housing Units (2000): 236 Land area (2000): 0.526134 sq. miles (1.362682 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.009121 sq. miles (0.023623 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.535255 sq. miles (1.386305 sq. km) …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • Burden, KS — U.S. city in Kansas Population (2000): 564 Housing Units (2000): 236 Land area (2000): 0.526134 sq. miles (1.362682 sq. km) Water area (2000): 0.009121 sq. miles (0.023623 sq. km) Total area (2000): 0.535255 sq. miles (1.386305 sq. km) FIPS code …   StarDict's U.S. Gazetteer Places

  • burden — ► NOUN 1) a heavy load. 2) a cause of hardship, worry, or grief. 3) the main responsibility for a task. 4) the main theme of a speech, book, or argument. 5) a ship s carrying capacity. ► VERB 1) load heavily …   English terms dictionary

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