Plural of burg; cities, towns, or fortified settlements, especially medieval walled towns with defensive structures.
From Old English 'burh' and German 'Burg', meaning fortress or fortified town. The word evolved to mean any significant settlement with defensive features.
When medieval people said 'burgs,' they meant towns protected by walls and the people inside them—it's why so many German cities still have names ending in '-burg' today!
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