Past tense of borrow; took something that belongs to someone else with the intention of returning it later.
From Old English 'borgian,' from 'borg' meaning pledge or security. The word originally meant to pledge something as security, evolving to mean temporarily taking use of something.
The word 'borrow' originally meant to pledge something as security—like collateral—so 'borrowing' etymologically means 'putting your pledge on the line,' which is why breaking a borrow (not returning it) feels like breaking trust in a way other loans don't.
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