the.com/borrow

means To take or use something that belongs to someone else, with the understanding (or at least the pretense) that you'll give it back.

from Borrow comes from Old English borgian, meaning to lend, to be surety for, or to pledge — tied to borg/borh, a pledge or security. The sense is really about trust and collateral: the old Germanic root (also behind words related to 'bury' and 'borough' in the sense of protection/pledge) carried the idea of something held safe as a guarantee. So borrowing was never just taking — it always implied a promise standing behind it, which may be why the guilt never quite leaves.