Burn (stream)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In Scotland, Northern England and some parts of Ireland, burn is a name for watercourses from large streams to small rivers. The term is also used in lands settled by the Scots and Northern English in other countries, notably in Otago, New Zealand.

In archaic English, its cognate was "bourne", which is retained in the placename Bournemouth.

Scots Gaelic has the word bùrn, also cognate, but which means "fresh water".

[edit] Etymology

The name originally came from Northumbrian (Old English or Ynglis) into the Scots language, Scottish English and Geordie.

Also, in Scotland, larger streams may be called water rather than stream or river, e.g. Gala Water, Water of Leith.