Burgherhood

/ˈbɜːrɡərhʊd/ noun

Definition

The state or condition of being a burgher (a citizen or merchant of a burgh); the collective burghers of a town.

Etymology

From burgher (inhabitant of a burgh, from burgh) + -hood (suffix denoting state, condition, or group), parallel to knighthood or priesthood.

Kelly Says

Medieval burgherhood created Europe's first middle class—merchants wealthy enough to rival nobles but excluded from nobility, spurring them to invest in cities and culture.

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