Nichbourheid

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic term for the state of living near others, or the district and community formed by nearby residents
2. Old spelling meaning nearness in place, or the neighbourhood that a group of close neighbours shares
3. A dated word for proximity between dwellings, or the community of people who live close together

Etymology: Scots writers spelled "neighbourhood" as "nichbourheid," and the word is built from two familiar pieces. The first is "nichbour," the Scots form of "neighbour," which comes from Old English "nēahgebūr," literally "near-dweller." The second is "-heid," the Scots counterpart of English "-hood," which marks a state or condition, as in "childhood." The "ch" in the Scots spelling likely reflects an old guttural sound in "nēah." The same sound produced Scots "nicht" for "night" and "heich" for "high," so the spelling follows a pattern of regular Scots development rather than an irregular change.