Borg

See also: BORG, borg, bôrg, and borġ

English

Etymology

• As a Danish and Norwegian surname, from various places derived from Old Norse borg (“stronghold”).
• As a north/Low German surname, this is the Low German form of the surname Burg.
• As a Jewish surname, from Yiddish בורג (burg, “credit”), from Middle High German borgen (“to lend, borrow”), from Old High German borgēn.
• As a Maltese surname, from Arabic بُرْج (burj, “stronghold, castle”), distantly related to the first two senses above.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔː(ɹ)ɡ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)ɡ

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Borg (plural Borgs)

1. A surname

See also

• Berg
• Bergh
• Borgh
• Boro
• Bourg
• Bourgh
• Burg
• Burgh
• Burh
• Bury

 

Etymology 2

From the Star Trek franchise, in which the Borg are a cyborg race intent on converting all other life into their own kind; apparently a clipping of cyborg, from cybernetic + organism.

Alternative forms

• borg

Noun

Borg (plural Borgs or Borg)

1. (slang) One who proselytises or assimilates.
   • 2005^[1]:

     Go for the fun of it (yes, I am one of the Borgs) and don't let equipment bother you. Just remember this even when the Borgs assimilate you.

Verb

Borg (third-person singular simple present Borgs, present participle Borging, simple past and past participle Borged)

1. (slang) To assimilate rivals, via corporate acquisition or religious proselytisation.
   • 2003, “Microsoft trying to borg google.”, in New York Times‎^[2]:
   • 2004, alt.religion.asatru‎^[3] (Usenet):

     The Christians could afford to spend generations converting northern Europe and that's exactly what they did. We have that example from history. We know there are other faiths out there that want to wipe us out, and there are other faiths out there that want to Borg us. The fact that some are still here after decades means we aren't giving in this time, and you're one of the ones here over a decade."

   • 2004^[4]:

     They are trying to turn you into them. They are trying to borg us.

2. (slang) To turn into a cyborg, to implant machinery into people with the intent of controlling or assimilating them.
   • 2000, Charles Hayward, FREQ‎^[5]:

     We already do it and they tell us they're going to Borg us with fucking stuff into our brains and we won't have to talk to each other.

   • 2001, Rick C. Hodgin, GeekNews^[6]

     Intel wants to Borg us!

Usage notes

• Mainly seen in the infinitive form and rarely in lower case.

Anagrams

• Grob, brog

German

Alternative forms

• Barg (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle High German barc, from Old High German barug. The contemporary vocalism is based on Middle Low German borch, which may be an old variant with zero-grade (compare Old English borg). Cognate with Dutch barg, English barrow.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔrk/, [bɔʁk], [bɔɐ̯k], [bɔːk]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Borg m (strong, genitive Borges or Borgs, plural Börge)

1. barrow (castrated boar)

Usage notes

• Borg is a technical term used chiefly by those in contact with farming. Its intelligibility among the general public is limited.

Declension

Declension of Borg [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Borg	die	Börge
genitive	eines	des	Borges, Borgs	der	Börge
dative	einem	dem	Borg, Borge1	den	Börgen
accusative	einen	den	Borg	die	Börge

¹Now rare, see notes.

Further reading

• “Borg, Schwein” in Duden online
• “Borg, Geliehenes” in Duden online
• “Borg” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Maltese

Etymology

From borġ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔrt͡ʃ/

Proper noun

Borg

1. a surname

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse Borg, from borg.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /borɡ/
• (Østfoldmål) IPA^(key): /bœrj/

Proper noun

Borg f

1. (historical) a mediaeval town in Østfold; modern Sarpsborg

Related terms

• borg
• Borgarting
• Sarpsborg

Swedish

Etymology

From berg (“mountain”).

Proper noun

Borg c (genitive Borgs)

1. a common surname