royal burgh

English

WOTD – 30 November 2022

Etymology

A panoramic view of St. Andrews, in Fife, Scotland, U.K. The town became a royal burgh in 1620, when it was granted a charter by King James VI of Scotland (James I of England).

From royal +‎ burgh.

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation, Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˌɹɔɪəl ˈbʌɹə/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɹɔɪ(ə)l ˈbɝoʊ/, (nonstandard) /-ˈbɝɡ/
Rhymes: -ʌɹə, -ɜː(ɹ)ɡ
Hyphenation: roy‧al burgh

Noun

royal burgh (plural royal burghs)

(Scotland, historical) A type of Scottish burgh founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter; these were legally abolished in 1975.
Synonyms: (obsolete) burgh royal, (obsolete) royal borough

Most royal burghs were either created by the Crown, or upgraded from another status, such as a burgh of barony.

Coordinate terms

Related terms

royal borough (in England)

Translations

type of Scottish burgh founded by, or subsequently granted, a royal charter

Finnish: kuninkaallinen burgh
French: burgh royal
Japanese: 勅許自治都市 (ちょくきょじちとし, chokukyojichitoshi)
Scots: ryal burgh
Spanish: burgo real m
Ukrainian: королівське мі́сто n (korolivsʹke místo)

Further reading

royal burgh on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
“royal burgh, n.” under “royal, adj. and n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, September 2022.
“royal burgh, n.”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present, reproduced from Collins English Dictionary: Complete & Unabridged, digital edition, [London]: HarperCollins, 2012.

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