Obs. Forms: 1 beorʓan, 2–4 berȝe(n. Also 2–3 bereȝen, bireȝen, bureȝen(ü), buruwen, Orm. berrȝhenn, 3 berwen. Pa. t. 1 bearʓ, 2–3 barȝ, 3 barw. Pa. pple. 1 borʓen, 2–4 borȝen, 3 Orm. borrȝhenn, boreȝen, iboreuwen, iboruwen, iborhen. [Common Teut.: OE. beorʓan (:—bergan) = OS. (gi)bergan (MDu. berghen, Du. bergen), OHG. bergan (MHG. and mod.G. bergen), ON. bjarga, Goth. bairgan:—OTeut. *berg-an to protect, shelter, to shut in for protection or preservation.] To give shelter; to protect, preserve; to deliver, save. (Orig. with dat., which was afterwards treated as direct obj.).
a. 1000. Andreas (Grein), 1540. Weras … woldon feore beorʓan.
c. 1000. Ags. Psalter xvi[i]. 8. Beorh me, swa swa man byrhð þam æplum on his eaʓum.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 39. Þenne bureȝest þu here saule … from þan ufele deaðe.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 61. Min red is þat we berȝen us wið ech of þese þre duntes.
c. 1200. Ormin, 4394. Þu ne mihht nohht borrȝhenn ben.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 162. Tu schal beon iboruwen.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1330. Oc angel … barȝ ðe child fro ðe dead.
a. 1300. Havelok, 697. Betere us is … to fle, And berwen bothen ure liues. Ibid., 2022. God self barw him wel.
1340. Ayenb., 251. He þet him wille berȝe.
¶ The weak pa. t. and pa. pple. beryhed, so frequent in the Northern Psalter, are ascribed by Mätzner to a distinct vb. beryhien, berȝien, which he compares with ON. byrgja (= Eng. bury), but this appears to be very doubtful: ON. bjarga has itself weak inflexions from an early period in Norway (Vigf.).
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xliii. [iv]. 4. Ne þar arme beryhed þam ai. Ibid., xxxii[i]. 17. Swikel hors … of his might noght beryhed es.
