Bertha

¹

[bur-thuh]

noun

1. a first name: from a Germanic word meaning “bright.”

bertha

²

[bur-thuh]

noun

1. a collar or trimming, as of lace, worn about the shoulders by women, as over a low-necked waist or dress.

bertha

/ ˈbɜːθə /

noun

1. a wide deep capelike collar, often of lace, usually to cover up a low neckline

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bertha¹

First recorded in 1835–45; named after Bertha (died a.d. 783), wife of Frankish king Pepin the Short; she was famed for her modesty

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bertha¹

C19: from French berthe , from Berthe , 8th-century Frankish queen, mother of Charlemagne

Example Sentences

Visit Bertha was Cassiopeia’s first pick.

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Bertha was the speedy but dimwitted ostrich who had been left at Ashton Place by a fascinating but dishonest explorer named Admiral Faucet, a friend of Lord Fredrick’s mother.

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Bertha lived in a POE—a Permanent Ostrich Enclosure—on the grounds of the estate.

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“You mean Bertha, the ostrich. I remember it all too well.”

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“All right, I might as well spit it out. I’ve been thinking . . . about Bertha.”

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