Burgess

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbɜːd͡ʒɪs/

Definitions

1. A citizen or official of a town or borough, particularly one who holds the right to vote or represent the community in parliament
2. An individual who holds a recognized status within a town or community and often has the privilege of representation or voting rights in governmental matters
3. A member of a borough or town, typically endowed with the ability to participate in civic decisions and activities, including legislative representation

Etymology: Burgess is a close cousin of "bourgeois" and "borough", and the three descend from the same ancient word for a fortified place. The Proto-Germanic root *burgz meant "stronghold" or "city", and it passed into the Romance languages and Germanic speech alike. The English word arrived through Anglo-Norman "burgeis", meaning "town-dweller", and it was already in Middle English by the time it referred to a freeman of a town with the right to vote and hold civic office. The origin of the Romance branch is uncertain. It may come from Late Latin "burgensis", itself derived from Latin "burgus" (a fortified tower), or it may be a Frankish borrowing of the same Germanic root. Either way, the family tree shows that the people who lived inside walls were named for the walls themselves.