neighebor

Neighebor is an archaic or dialect spelling of the English word neighbor. It appears in some Middle English and Scots texts, dating roughly from the 13th to the 16th century, reflecting historical pronunciation and spelling conventions of the period. The form derives from Old English neahgebūr, literally “near dweller,” composed of neah (near) and gebūr (man or person).

In historical usage, neighebor signified a person living nearby or a fellow resident and could be used in both secular and religious contexts. As English spelling and pronunciation shifted over time, the standard modern forms emerged: neighbor in American English and neighbour in British English. The archaic form is now primarily of interest to linguists, philologists, and readers aiming to reproduce or study medieval and early modern language.

Contemporary references to neighebor are typically found in discussions of historical linguistics, dialect studies, or in fiction and poetry that seeks an archaic flavor. When encountered in modern writing, it is generally used to evoke a medieval or dialectal tone rather than as current usage. Related terms include the modern neighbors concept, and the standard spellings neighbor and neighbour.