In Southern and Appalachian speech, borry is a regional pronunciation of borrow, used in everyday conversation. The past tense - borried - follows the same pattern, showing the old mountain habit of flattening "-ow" sounds to "-or."
★ If I let somebody borry something, I pretty much count it as a gift. I ain't got hardly anything back. ★
Origin and Etymology
Derived from the standard English verb borrow. The Appalachian and Southern form borry reflects vowel shifts that came with Scots-Irish settlers, who often flattened "-ow" to "-or" or "-ar." Similar shifts appear in words like "foller" (follow) and "tarrow" (tire). The pattern has endured in mountain and rural speech for centuries.
Usage Notes
"Borry" is still heard in small towns, farm communities, and mountain hollers where traditional speech rhythms persist. It’s rarely written except to capture voice in storytelling or dialogue.
"Can I borry a cup of sugar?" - casual everyday request.
"I borried that ladder from Earl." - natural past-tense form.
"Don’t borry trouble." - idiomatic saying meaning "don’t go lookin’ for worry."
Created by The Hillbilly Dude, this site is a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia but reaching across the world. Every slang word, saying, accent and story is gathered from first-hand experience and trusted sources. The goal: preserve authentic voices and share them with writers, learners, and culture lovers everywhere - with a little humor thrown in here and there. Read more...
It either sounds like borry or borruh. 'Borry' is probably a little more old-timer.