Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *bʰerno-, grown from *bʰer- ‎(“to bear, carry”). Akin to Old Norse byrðr ( > Danish byrde), Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌸𐌴𐌹𐌽 ‎(baúrþein). Non-Germanic cognates include Sanskrit भर ‎(bhára, “burden”), Persian بار ‎(bār, “burden”), Old Armenian բեռն ‎(beṙn), Ancient Greek φόρτος ‎(phórtos, “burden”).