Borrowed
/ˈbɒr.əʊd/noun
Past tense and past participle of borrow, meaning to receive and use something temporarily with the intention of returning it.
Did you know?Old English borgian could mean both “to borrow” and “to lend,” reflecting an older system where receiving and securing a loan were linguistically intertwined.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰerǵʰ-
“To protect, conceal, or keep safe; a reconstructed root associated with later Germanic loan and security vocabulary.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*burgjaną
“To lend, borrow, or provide something under an arrangement of security or obligation.”
Old English
Old English
borgian
“To borrow, lend, or pledge; the meanings could operate from either side of a secured exchange.”
Middle English
Middle English
borwen
“To borrow or obtain something temporarily, especially with an obligation to return it.”
14th Century
English
borrowed
“The past-tense and past-participle form of borrow, used for something received temporarily.”
Modern English
English
borrowed
“Received for temporary use, or taken from another source and adapted.”