borry

In Appalachian and Southern speech, "borry" is a dialect form of "borrow," often used in casual conversation. The past tense is commonly said as "borried."

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Hillbilly Dude Says...

It either sounds like borry or borruh. 'Borry' is probably a little more old timer.

Pronunciation

[bahr-ee]

Meaning & Usage

- To Use Temporarily (verb)

Elmer:

Can I borry your truck for the afternoon?

Estel:

Long as you put gas in it.

Ruby:

I borried that rake from Clyde last fall.

Mae:

Best take it back ‘fore he comes lookin’.

other spellings: borry, and borried

★ If you hear "borry" instead of "borrow," you’re probably talking to someone with deep Appalachian or rural Southern roots - and if they say "borried," they’ve already done it. ★

Origin

This pronunciation comes from vowel shifts in regional English, where "-ow" sounds often flatten to "-or" or "-ar." Such variations are common in Appalachian and Scots-Irish influenced speech patterns.

Notes

"Borrow" is the formal standard, but "borry" remains common in everyday talk in some rural areas. In writing, it’s typically used only to reflect dialect.

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Common Questions

Is "borry" incorrect?

It’s nonstandard in formal English, but perfectly normal in regional dialects.

Is "borried" a real word?

In standard English, no - but it’s the natural past tense form in dialect speech.

Where is it used most?

Throughout Appalachia, parts of the rural South, and anywhere Scots-Irish influenced dialects remain strong.

Do people outside the region understand it?

Usually, from context - but they might think it’s a joke if they’ve never heard it before.