Etymology

From late OE herebeorgian, probably formed on herber.  Cp. OIcel herbergja ‘to harbour a person; lodge, take in’ (wk. 1 but also appearing as wk. 2 from the 14c. onwards), OHG heribergōn, MDu herbergen.

PGmc Ancestor

*xarjaz + *ƀerʒō 

Proposed ON Etymon (OIcel representative)

cp. herbergja ‘to harbour a person; lodge, take in’
(ONP cp. herbergja (1) and (2) (vb.))

Other Scandinavian Reflexes

Far herbergi, Icel herbergi, Norw herbyrgi, Dan herberg(e), Sw härberge

OE Cognate

herebeorgian 'to take up one's quarters, lodge'

Phonological and morphological markers

Summary category

CCC4a

Attestation

Common and widespread in ME (also in place-names: see EPNE); on the late OE attestations see SPS.

Occurrences in the Gersum Corpus

Gaw 805, 2481; WA 5390

Bibliography

MED herberwen (v.) , OED harbour, harbor (v.) , HTOED , Dance herber (v.), SPS 446