Burn

Type

River

Area of origin

Scotland, N England

Area of use

Scotland, N England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand

Related terms

Allt, Bourne, Bourn

A small river or larger stream. Burn is the Scottish and NE English version of the term bourne, and is also found in place names in Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

Etymology

Old English burna ‘brook’, ‘stream’. Cf. bourne

Example locations

  • Blackburn
    Lancashire
  • Bannockburn
    Stirling, Scotland

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